Fire risk assessments for landlords and managing agents
We carry out fire risk assessments for blocks of flats, converted buildings, HMOs and mixed-use premises. Each report records everything we checked and sets out clearly what the responsible person needs to do, so you can show you are meeting your duties.
- Blocks of flats and HMOs
- Full written report
- Independent advice
Who is responsible for fire safety in a block of flats?
The common parts of a residential building, such as entrance halls, corridors and stairs, fall under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The responsible person is usually the freeholder or landlord, a residents' management company or right to manage company, or a managing agent acting on their behalf.
The responsible person must have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, act on its findings and keep it under review. Where more than one person has responsibilities in the same building, they must cooperate and share information.
Not sure whether your building needs one? Read do converted or small blocks of flats need a fire risk assessment?
Residential and mixed-use buildings
The right precautions depend on how the building was built or converted, how tall it is and who lives there.
Purpose-built blocks
Communal areas of purpose-built blocks of flats and apartments.
Converted buildings
Houses and other buildings converted into flats, including section 257 HMOs.
HMOs and shared houses
Shared houses, bedsits and student lets. See our HMO fire risk assessments.
Mixed-use buildings
Flats above shops, pubs and takeaways, where both uses need to be considered.
Recent changes for residential buildings
Since 2021, the rules for buildings with two or more homes have tightened. Your fire risk assessment needs to reflect them.
The Fire Safety Act 2021
Confirmed that the fire risk assessment for a building containing two or more homes must cover the structure, external walls, balconies and flat entrance doors, not just the communal areas.
Information for residents
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require responsible persons to give residents fire safety instructions and information about the importance of fire doors.
Buildings over 11 metres
Communal fire doors must be checked every three months, and you must make best endeavours to check flat entrance doors every year. Taller buildings have further duties.
Since October 2023
The full fire risk assessment must be recorded in writing, anyone you appoint must be competent, and you must share relevant information with residents and other responsible persons.
Clear reports you can act on and pass on
Our reports are written for the people who have to act on them. Every finding is prioritised, so you can plan remedial work and budget for it, and the report gives you the evidence you need if the fire and rescue service, an insurer, a lender or a buyer's solicitor asks to see it.
If you look after several buildings, tell us about the portfolio and we can quote for them together. We can also help with the information residents need, from flat information packs to residential evacuation plans.
Fire safety services for residential buildings
Everything a responsible person usually needs, from one independent provider.
Guides for landlords and agents
Questions from landlords and agents
Does a block of flats need a fire risk assessment?
Yes. The common parts of a block of flats are covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and the fire risk assessment must also consider the structure, external walls and flat entrance doors. The inside of individual flats is generally not covered.
Who is the responsible person in a block of flats?
Usually the freeholder or landlord, or a residents' management company or right to manage company. A managing agent often carries out the duties on their behalf. Where several people have responsibilities, they must cooperate.
How often should the fire risk assessment be reviewed?
Regularly, and whenever something significant changes, such as building work, a change of use or a fire. Many responsible persons review it every year, and higher-risk buildings may need more frequent reviews.
What information do I need to give residents?
In buildings with two or more homes, residents must be given fire safety instructions, including what to do in a fire, and information about the importance of fire doors. You must also share relevant findings from the fire risk assessment.
Does a fire risk assessment cover flat entrance doors?
Yes. Since the Fire Safety Act 2021, flat entrance doors fall within the scope of the fire risk assessment for the building, even though they usually belong to the individual flats.
Get a quote for your building
Tell us about the building or portfolio you look after, and we will confirm a price before anything is booked.