Who this is for
These duties fall on responsible persons in multi-occupied residential buildings, including:
Landlords
Managing agents
Resident management companies
Freeholders
Building owners
Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced significant new requirements.
Understanding your legal position
The Fire Safety Act 2021
The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that the Fire Safety Order 2005 applies to:
The building's structure
External walls (including cladding, balconies, windows, anything attached)
Flat entrance doors
Common parts
This means your fire risk assessment must include these elements.
Fire Safety Act 2021 scope
The extended scope following the Grenfell Tower fire.
The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarifies and amends the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. It applies to all multi-occupied residential buildings in England and Wales, regardless of height.
Buildings covered
All multi-occupied residential buildings (any height)
Definition
Building containing 2+ sets of domestic premises (flats, maisonettes)
In force (England)
16 May 2022
In force (Wales)
1 October 2021
What the Act clarifies
The Fire Safety Act 2021 was passed to close gaps exposed by the Grenfell Tower fire. It clarifies that the Fire Safety Order 2005 applies to:
Structure, external walls, and common parts of multi-occupied residential buildingsAll flat entrance doors that open onto common partsExternal walls including cladding, balconies, windows, and anything attached to the exterior
Before this Act, there was legal uncertainty about whether these elements were in scope of fire risk assessments.
HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation)
Covered under the Act
Purpose-built blocks of flats
Covered under the Act
Converted buildings with multiple flats
Covered under the Act
Single-family homes
Not covered (not multi-occupied)
Full guide to your obligations as the responsible person
Additional requirements for high-rise buildings
If your building is a 'high-rise residential building' (18 metres or 7+ storeys), you have additional duties under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
Complete guide to FSE Regulations 2022 requirements for high-rise buildings
Secure information box
High-rise residential buildings must have a secure information box containing floor plans and responsible person contact details.
Wayfinding signage
High-rise buildings must have wayfinding signage to help firefighters navigate.
Fire door requirements
Fire doors are critical for compartmentation in residential buildings.
Quarterly fire door checks
Common area fire doors must be checked every 3 months.
If you are the responsible person for a building with two or more sets of domestic premises and its top storey is above 11 metres , you must check the fire doors in communal areas at least every 3 months under Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. Height is measured to the top storey, so count metres rather than storeys.
Building height threshold
Top storey above 11 metres
Inspection frequency
At least every 3 months
Scope
All fire doors in communal areas of the building
Minimum content of each check
Self-closing devices are working
Came into force
23 January 2023
What to check
The GOV.UK fire door guidance describes the checks as simple and visual. It suggests you look at the following each time.
The self-closing device works and the door closes fully into its frame from any angle
Intumescent strips and smoke seals, where fitted, are undamaged, touch the door edge or frame and have not been painted over
The gap between door and frame is no more than 4mm, except at the bottom of the door
The hinges and other ironmongery have no obvious defects, such as missing or loose screws
There is no damage, hole or alteration to the door, frame, glazing or surrounding wall that could affect its fire resistance
Where a door is found to be inadequate and needs replacing, a competent person must do the work.
Complete guide to fire door inspection requirements and procedures
Information for residents
You must provide fire safety information to residents, including:
The building's evacuation strategy (stay put or simultaneous)
Fire safety instructions
The importance of fire doors
Resident information duties
What information you must provide to residents.
Regulations 9 and 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force on 23 January 2023. They apply to the responsible person for a building in England that contains two or more sets of domestic premises and has common parts through which residents would need to evacuate in an emergency.
Applies to
Buildings in England with two or more sets of domestic premises and shared evacuation routes
Display
Fire safety instructions in a conspicuous part of the building
Form
One residents can reasonably be expected to understand
Contents
Evacuation strategy, how to report a fire, what residents must do once a fire has occurred
New residents
A copy as soon as reasonably practicable after they move in
All residents
A copy within each period of 12 months
Material changes
Display the revised instructions and give residents a copy
Fire door information Under Regulation 10 the responsible person must also tell residents that fire doors should be kept shut when not in use, that residents and their guests should not tamper with self-closing devices, and that residents should report any faults or damage to doors immediately to the responsible person. This goes to new residents as soon as reasonably practicable after they move in, and to all residents within each period of 12 months.
Penalty
Criminal offence: unlimited fine, and up to 2 years on indictment
External wall assessments
Your fire risk assessment must include external walls.
For high-rise buildings, you must also provide information to the fire and rescue authority about the construction and materials of external walls.
Enforcement and penalties
Fire and rescue services can enforce these requirements with serious penalties for non-compliance.
What to do if you receive an enforcement notice
What to have in place
These duties come from the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025. A high-rise residential building is one at least 18 metres high or with at least seven storeys. If you manage the building for the responsible person, agree in writing which of these you carry out.
GOV.UK sector-specific fire safety risk assessment guides
Further resources
Official fact sheets and guidance documents
For higher-risk buildings (18m+ with residential), additional Building Safety Act duties may apply