The Fire Safety Act 2021 and The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 don’t apply to Scotland, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t changes that you need to consider. New guides have been introduced for existing buildings as follows – high-rise domestic buildings, non-residential premises, specialised housing, and care homes. Please note that this guidance does not apply to New-Build premises. These guides look at communal areas and building design, and are aimed at reducing risk to life and safety. We’ve provided links to the detailed guidance below:

Existing high-rise domestic buildings

In general terms, this applies to all domestic buildings with between 6-20 floors or those between 18 and 60 meters. Premises within these buildings that are used as the following are not included in this, and the specialist guidance for each must be referred to:

• Flats within a block that are used as Houses of Multiple Occupancy
• Flats used for Holiday Lets
• Flats used for registered childminding

Existing non-residential premises

This applies to non-residential commercial buildings, which includes those used for transport, manufacturing, educational, and entertainment purposes. Examples of these may include non-residential school buildings, cinemas, warehouses, daycare, and retail.

Existing specialised housing and similar premises

This guide applies to premises that provide support for older people and others requiring care, such as people living at home who require various levels of support, supported housing, small care homes, and those who receive a home care service. A care home is generally considered “small” if it is of a size similar to a domestic dwelling and only have a few residents.

Existing care homes

As per the above, “small” care homes are included in the guide for specialised housing, but all other care homes will be included in this special guidance. In general terms, this applies to care homes that have a couple of floors or more.