Fire Door Checks for London Blocks of Flats and HMOs — Who Checks What, and How Often

Quick answer: In residential buildings over 11 metres, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require quarterly checks of communal fire doors and best-endeavours annual checks of flat entrance doors. All blocks with two or more flats must give residents information about fire doors. HMOs are normally governed by your fire risk assessment and licence conditions, which usually require FD30 self-closing doors on the escape route.

A fire door only works if it closes fully, seals properly and holds back fire and smoke for its rated time. Doors in rented buildings take a lot of wear: propped open, closers disconnected, seals painted over, gaps worn wide. That is why fire door checks became a specific legal duty after the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

The law in plain English

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

This is the foundation. It applies to the common parts of blocks of flats and to HMOs. It makes a "responsible person" (usually the freeholder, landlord or managing agent) responsible for fire safety, including fire doors on escape routes, and requires a suitable fire risk assessment.

Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

These regulations came into force in January 2023 and added specific duties.

All blocks with two or more domestic premises:

• Give residents fire safety instructions.
• Give residents information about the importance of fire doors, including keeping them shut and not tampering with self-closers.

Blocks with a top storey above 11 metres (typically five storeys and above):

• Check fire doors in communal areas at least every three months.
• Use best endeavours to check flat entrance doors at least every 12 months.

"Best endeavours" means making genuine, recorded attempts to get access. Keep evidence of letters, emails and attempted visits.

HMOs

The 2022 regulations above are aimed at blocks of flats. For HMOs, the standard approach used by London councils follows national fire safety guidance for housing. In most licensable HMOs, that means:

• FD30 fire doors on bedrooms, kitchens and other rooms opening onto the escape route.
• Self-closing devices that pull the door fully shut.
• Intumescent strips and cold smoke seals.

Your fire risk assessment and HMO licence conditions set the detail. A fire door certificate gives you dated evidence that doors meet those conditions.

What an inspection checks

A competent inspector checks each door against its certification and current guidance, including BS 8214 for door installation:

• Certification — label or plug showing the door's rating, such as FD30 or FD60.
• Door leaf — no holes, splits, poorly fitted letter plates or unapproved glazing.
• Frame — securely fixed, with no gaps behind it.
• Gaps — usually around 3mm at the top and sides; larger gaps let smoke through.
• Intumescent strips and smoke seals — present, continuous and not painted over.
• Hinges — minimum of three, fire-rated, with all screws in place.
• Self-closer — closes the door fully into the frame from any open position.
• Ironmongery and signage — fire-rated handles and locks, correct "Fire Door Keep Shut" signs.

The five most common failures we see in London

1. Disconnected or removed self-closers, often by tenants who find them heavy.
2. Oversized gaps from warped doors or settled frames in older buildings.
3. Painted-over or missing seals after redecoration.
4. Non-fire-rated replacement doors fitted during a refurbishment.
5. Doors wedged open in HMO kitchens and hallways.

Most can be fixed without replacing the door.

Our fire door prices

For more than six doors, call for a quote. See our fire door certificate page or book online.

Fire doors are one part of an HMO's fire safety. Pair them with a fire risk assessment and a fire safety certificate for the alarm system. Call 020 3996 1070 with questions.

Sources

• The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/547)
• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005