England and Wales · Fire Safety Act 2021: FRA Scope Now Includes Structure; External Walls; Flat Entrance Doors (RRFSO 2005 as Amended) · Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: In Force 23 January 2023 · Multi-Occupied Residential Buildings (2+ Domestic Premises + Common Parts): Quarterly Fire Door Checks (Communal — Buildings Over 11m); Monthly Fire Door Checks (Flat Front Doors — Buildings Over 11m) · Resident Information: RP Name; Evacuation Instructions; Fire Door Maintenance · Firefighting Lifts and Equipment: Regular Inspection and Maintenance · HMO Fire Safety: RRFSO 2005 + Housing Act 2004 + HMO Management Regulations 2006

Fire Safety Act 2021 — Responsible Person, Fire Safety England Regulations 2022, Fire Door Checks and HMO Fire Safety

Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 landlord guide: the Fire Safety Act 2021 amended the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO 2005) to clarify its scope covers the entire building — including structure and external walls (cladding; insulation; balconies) and flat entrance doors. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (in force 23 January 2023) impose mandatory obligations on the 'responsible person' (RP) for multi-occupied residential buildings (2+ sets of domestic premises with common parts). Obligations: (1) fire door checks: buildings over 11m — quarterly checks of communal fire doors (automatic closing; gaps; hinges; seals; handles; glazing); monthly checks of flat front doors (resident notification system plus visual check from common parts); buildings 11m or under — quarterly checks of communal fire doors. (2) Resident information: RP name and contact details; evacuation instructions; fire door importance; reporting faults; firefighting lift instructions. (3) Firefighting lifts and equipment: regular inspection and testing; records available to fire and rescue authority. (4) Wayfinding: floor numbers marked on all staircases and lift lobbies in buildings over 11m. (5) HMO fire safety: RRFSO 2005 (common parts) + Housing Act 2004 HHSRS + HMO Management Regulations 2006 (interconnected smoke alarms; fire blanket; fire extinguisher; fire doors; emergency lighting).

12 min readUpdated 7 June 2026Last reviewed: 17 May 2026fire-safety-act-2021fire-safety-england-regulations-2022responsible-personfire-doors

Fire Safety Act 2021 — scope and responsible person

The Fire Safety Act 2021 amended Article 6 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to clarify that the RRFSO applies to: (a) the structure and external walls of the building, including cladding, insulation, and balconies; and (b) flat entrance doors — the front doors of individual flats that open into common parts. The responsible person (RP) for a multi-occupied residential building is: the freeholder or management company; the Right to Manage company (for common parts); or the landlord or their managing agent. The RP must carry out a fire risk assessment covering all common parts, structure, external walls, and flat entrance doors; implement and maintain fire safety measures; keep the assessment under review; and record it in writing.

Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 — fire door checks, resident information and HMO obligations

Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (in force 23 January 2023) apply to buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises with common parts. Buildings over 11 metres: quarterly communal fire door checks (automatic closing device; gaps not exceeding 3mm; hinges; intumescent seals; handles; fire-rated glazing); monthly flat entrance door checks (resident notification system plus visual check from common parts). All multi-occupied buildings: quarterly communal fire door checks. Resident information requirements: RP name and contact details; fire safety instructions; evacuation procedures; fire door importance and fault reporting; firefighting lift instructions. Firefighting lifts and equipment: regular inspection; records available to fire and rescue authority. Wayfinding signage: floor numbers on all staircases and lift lobbies (buildings over 11m). HMO fire safety — additional obligations: RRFSO 2005 (common parts) + Housing Act 2004 HHSRS + HMO Management Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/372 England; SI 2006/1702 Wales): interconnected smoke alarms; fire blanket in every kitchen; fire extinguisher on every floor; fire doors throughout; illuminated emergency lighting (3+ storey HMOs).

Frequently asked questions

Who is the responsible person under the Fire Safety Act 2021 for a block of flats?+

The responsible person under the RRFSO 2005 (as amended by the Fire Safety Act 2021) is the person with control of the premises. For a block of flats: the freeholder or management company; the Right to Manage company (for common parts); or the landlord or managing agent (for wholly-owned rental blocks). The responsible person must carry out fire risk assessments covering the whole building (including external walls and flat entrance doors), carry out fire door checks, maintain firefighting equipment, and provide fire safety information to residents.

How often must fire doors be checked in a multi-occupied residential building?+

Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (in force 23 January 2023): for buildings over 11 metres — communal fire doors (in shared corridors and stairwells) must be checked QUARTERLY; flat entrance doors (front doors of individual flats) must be checked MONTHLY — through a resident notification system asking residents to check and report faults, plus a visual check from common parts. For buildings 11 metres or under with common parts, quarterly checks of communal fire doors still apply.

What did the Fire Safety Act 2021 change about fire risk assessment scope?+

The Fire Safety Act 2021 amended Article 6 of the RRFSO 2005 to make clear that fire risk assessments must cover: (1) the structure and external walls of the building — including cladding, insulation systems, and balconies (important after the Grenfell Tower fire revealed ambiguity in the original RRFSO); and (2) flat entrance doors — the front doors of individual flats into the common parts. Before the 2021 Act, it was unclear whether external walls and flat entrance doors fell within the RRFSO. The 2021 Act resolved this ambiguity.

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