Fire door checks for landlords: what the law requires

Why fire doors matter

In a block of flats, a converted house or an HMO, fire doors do two jobs. They hold back fire and smoke long enough for people to escape, and they protect the escape route, usually the stairs, so it stays usable. A fire door only works if it closes fully by itself and fits its frame properly. A door that is wedged open, has a broken closer or has gaps you can see daylight through gives very little protection.

That is why the law focuses not just on having fire doors but on keeping them in working order.

The law in both England and Wales

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies in both nations. The Responsible Person, usually the landlord, freeholder, management company or managing agent, must assess the fire risk in the common parts and keep the fire safety measures, including fire doors, maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.

The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that, in buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises, the Order covers the structure, the external walls and the flat entrance doors onto the common parts. So flat entrance doors must be considered in the fire risk assessment, even where the lease says the leaseholder owns the door. In England this took effect on 16 May 2022.

England: the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

These regulations came into force on 23 January 2023 and apply only in England. They build on the Fire Safety Order for residential buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises.

All buildings with two or more flats

The Responsible Person must give residents information about the importance of fire doors: that they should be kept shut when not in use, that residents should not tamper with self-closing devices, and that they should report any fault or damage straight away. This information must be given when someone moves in and repeated at least once a year.

Buildings over 11 metres

• Communal fire doors, including their self-closing devices, must be checked at least every three months.
• Flat entrance doors, including their self-closing devices, must be checked at least once a year on a best-endeavours basis. If a resident will not give access, you should record the steps you took to arrange the check.

Buildings of 18 metres or more, or at least seven storeys, have further duties under the same regulations, including information for the fire and rescue service and wayfinding signage.

The regulations do not dictate a particular form of record, but government guidance recommends keeping one. In practice, you cannot show you have met the duty without a dated record of each check, what was found and what was done about it.

Wales: what applies

In the absence of fixed rules, many responsible landlords in Wales use the English frequencies as a sensible benchmark: communal doors every three months and flat entrance doors every year, with more frequent checks where doors are heavily used or regularly damaged.

For individual rented homes, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 requires landlords to keep dwellings fit for human habitation, and fire safety is part of that. It is separate from the Fire Safety Order, which covers the common parts, but both matter for a landlord with flats or shared housing.

HMOs and shared housing

In both nations, the LACORS "Housing – Fire Safety" guide is the reference for fire safety in HMOs and shared houses. It uses a risk-based approach: depending on the size and layout of the property, it will often recommend fire-resisting, self-closing doors to bedrooms and kitchens off the escape route. Councils use this guide when licensing and inspecting HMOs, so doors in a licensed HMO should match what the guide and your licence conditions expect. The HMO management regulations in both nations also require the manager to keep the means of escape in good repair.

What a fire door check covers

A routine check is visual and practical. It does not need specialist tools, but it does need someone who knows what they are looking at. Check:

• Closing: open the door fully and let go; it should close and latch without sticking
• Gaps: even gaps around the top and sides, usually around 3 mm, within the range set by the door's certification
• Seals: intumescent strips and smoke seals present, continuous and undamaged
• Closer: fitted, working and not disconnected, damaged or leaking
• Hinges: all present, secure, with no missing or loose screws
• Glazing: fire-rated glass intact, with beads and seals in place
• Signage: "Fire door keep shut" signs where required, and legible
• Damage: no holes, splits, forced locks, unapproved alterations or missing parts
• Labels: any certification label or plug on the door's edge, as evidence of what it is
• Use: no wedges, hooks or obstructions holding the door open

Pay particular attention to flat entrance doors that have been replaced by residents or had letterboxes, spyholes or locks fitted, as unapproved changes can reduce fire resistance.

When a door fails the check

Record the fault and decide how urgent it is. A closer that needs adjusting can often be put right the same day. A damaged seal or a missing hinge screw should be repaired promptly. A door that will not close, is badly damaged or is clearly not a fire door is a serious defect on an escape route and needs urgent action, with interim measures if it cannot be fixed straight away.

Repairs should use compatible, certificated components. Where a door needs replacing, use a certificated fire doorset installed by a competent installer. Third-party certification schemes such as BM TRADA Q-Mark and FIRAS are examples to look for. BS 8214 is the code of practice for the installation and maintenance of timber-based fire door assemblies, and it is a sensible reference for repairs and inspections. Where a leaseholder owns a flat entrance door, check the lease for who must pay, but the Responsible Person still needs to make sure the problem is dealt with.

Keeping records

Keep a simple log for every door: its location, the date of each check, who carried it out, what was found, what action was taken and when it was completed. Include photographs where you can, and record any refused access to flats. A good record protects residents and shows an inspector, insurer or lender that you are on top of your duties. If we carry out your checks, the records sit alongside your fire risk assessment in the Vocus Fire Safety Portal.