Fire doors in flats and HMOs: what the law asks
Since January 2023, the people responsible for blocks of flats in England have had specific legal duties around fire doors. Here is what applies to your building, how often doors must be checked, and what a failed door usually needs.
Published 11 November 2026 · By Positive Contractors, NICEIC Approved Contractor and Gas Safe registered
Who the rules apply to
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force on 23 January 2023. They apply to the Responsible Person (usually the freeholder, managing agent or landlord) for any building with two or more flats and shared parts that residents would use to escape, such as a common hallway or stairs. They apply in England only.
The rules sit on top of the Fire Safety Order 2005, which already requires a fire risk assessment of the shared parts. The Fire Safety Act 2021 confirmed that flat entrance doors are part of that assessment, even though they belong to individual flats.
What depends on the building's height
| Building | Fire door duties |
|---|---|
| All blocks with 2+ flats | Give residents information on fire doors: keep them shut, don't tamper with self-closers, report faults. Re-issue it every 12 months, and to new residents as soon as practicable after they move in. Communal doors are checked through the fire risk assessment. |
| Top floor over 11 metres (typically 5+ storeys) | Check every fire door in the communal areas at least every 3 months. Use best endeavours to check every flat entrance door at least every 12 months. Keep a record of each check and what was done. |
A summary, not legal advice. The Home Office's fire door guidance for Responsible Persons is on GOV.UK. A breach can be a criminal offence where it puts people at risk of death or serious injury in a fire.
What a fire door check looks at
- The door closes fully into the frame by itself, from any angle, without sticking
- The self-closer is fitted, working and not disconnected or tied back
- Gaps around the sides and top are even and within limits (usually around 3 mm)
- Intumescent strips and smoke seals are present and undamaged
- Hinges are secure, with no missing screws
- Glazing has not been replaced with ordinary glass, and the leaf has no holes, cut-outs or damage
- Riser and cupboard doors in communal areas are kept locked shut
When a door fails
Most failures are fixable without a new door: a closer adjusted or replaced, new strips and seals, hinges re-fixed, or the door re-hung so the gaps are right. A door needs replacing when the leaf is damaged, has been cut down or drilled, has non-fire-rated glass, or there is no evidence of what it is.
New flat entrance doors are normally FD30S: 30 minutes' fire resistance with smoke seals, supplied and fitted as a certified doorset with its frame, closer and ironmongery. Fitting a fire door leaf into an old frame with the wrong hardware can undo the rating.
HMOs and converted houses
Houses in multiple occupation usually need fire doors to every bedroom and the kitchen onto the escape route, plus a linked fire alarm and emergency lighting, depending on the size and layout. The council's licence conditions and the fire risk assessment set the detail. Converted houses split into flats fall under the 2022 regulations if they have shared escape routes.
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Common questions
Do I need to check flat entrance doors in a 3-storey block?
The 3-month and 12-month checks only apply where the top storey is above 11 metres. In lower blocks, communal doors are covered by the fire risk assessment, and you still need to give residents fire door information every 12 months.
What if a leaseholder won't let me check their front door?
The duty for flat entrance doors is 'best endeavours'. Write to the resident, offer more than one appointment, and keep a record of each attempt.
Can you repair a fire door rather than replace it?
Often, yes. Adjusting or replacing closers, seals, strips and hinges fixes most failures. Damaged leaves, non-rated glass or doors with no evidence of their rating usually need replacing with a certified doorset.
Do you fit fire doors and do the checks?
Yes. We inspect, repair and replace fire doors in blocks, HMOs and commercial premises across London and Essex, alongside fire alarms and emergency lighting.
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