Fire Door Inspection Rules for London Blocks

Overview

Fire door inspection requirements

Fire doors are a critical element of passive fire protection in residential buildings. They form part of the compartmentation strategy, containing fire and smoke within defined areas and protecting escape routes. Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 requires resident information in all blocks of flats with common parts and routine door checks where the top storey is more than 11 metres above ground. Those simple checks do not replace the building’s fire risk assessment, which determines whether each door provides adequate protection.

The regulatory requirements

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force on 23 January 2023. Where the top storey is more than 11 metres above ground level, the responsible person must use best endeavours to check every flat entrance fire door at least once in each 12-month period and must check fire doors in communal areas at least every three months. Regulation 10 does not set a separate 18-metre threshold for these checks.

Government guidance describes the Regulation 10 checks as simple, basic visual checks and says a specialist should not normally be needed. Appropriately instructed caretakers, managing agents, housing officers or maintenance staff may carry them out. A competent fire door inspector is appropriate where the fire risk assessment, uncertainty about a door’s performance, or the design of repairs or replacement calls for specialist assessment.

How the adequacy of an existing door is assessed

Regulation 10 does not require an existing flat entrance door to satisfy the current standards for a new doorset, and the absence of modern certification, intumescent strips or smoke seals does not by itself make an older door unfit for purpose. Government guidance says a door that met the relevant standard when the block was built or the door was manufactured may remain adequate if it is undamaged, its gaps are not too large and its self-closing device works. The fire risk assessment considers inherent fire and smoke performance; new or replacement doors should be properly specified and installed by competent people.

Inspection Criteria

What a fire door inspector checks

Door leaf and frame

The inspector checks the door leaf for damage, warping, delamination, holes and signs of alteration. The frame is assessed for integrity, correct fixing and alignment. Any damage that could compromise the fire resistance of the door or frame is recorded as a deficiency. The inspector also checks that the door has not been modified in a way that invalidates its fire performance, such as cutting for cat flaps or letter boxes without fire-rated protection.

Seals and strips

Where intumescent strips or smoke seals form part of the doorset, the check records whether they are present, undamaged and unobstructed. Their absence on an older door does not by itself prove that the door is inadequate: the door’s age, original specification, condition and the findings of the fire risk assessment all matter.

Self-closing devices

Fire doors in residential buildings must be self-closing. The inspector checks that the self-closer is present, functional and of adequate strength to close the door fully from any open position into its frame. Missing or broken self-closers are one of the most common fire door deficiencies. Doors that are wedged or held open (unless with a hold-open device linked to the fire alarm) represent a serious compartmentation breach.

Gaps and glazing

The routine visual check looks for gaps that appear excessive, damage to glazing or beading, and alterations that may undermine the door. Whether the door’s fire and smoke performance is adequate is assessed against the available specification, its condition and the building’s fire risk assessment, rather than by assuming every existing door must match a new doorset.

Primary Sources

Regulation and government guidance used

Sources checked: 18 July 2026. See the current GOV.UK Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 fire-door guidance and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 guidance collection. This article is general guidance; the building’s fire risk assessment and competent advice should determine whether a particular door is adequate and what work is proportionate.

Compliance

Achieving and maintaining compliance

Developing an inspection programme

For managing agents and RMCs responsible for multiple buildings, a structured fire door-check programme is essential. Where a building’s top storey is more than 11 metres above ground, this should schedule annual best-endeavours checks of flat entrance fire doors and quarterly checks of communal fire doors, with records of access attempts, findings and follow-up work. The programme should integrate with the building’s fire risk assessment and any Building Safety Act obligations.

Remediation of non-compliant doors

Where a check identifies damage or a failed self-closing device, the responsible person should arrange prompt follow-up. Where the fire risk assessment or a competent specialist assessment finds that a door’s inherent performance is inadequate, repair or replacement may be required and should be carried out by a competent contractor. Regulation 10, or the absence of modern certification alone, does not create an automatic replacement duty. Actions should be prioritised by risk and records of checks, access attempts and remedial work retained.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How often must fire doors be checked in London residential blocks?

If the top storey is more than 11 metres above ground, the responsible person must use best endeavours to check flat entrance fire doors at least every 12 months and must check communal fire doors at least every three months. There is no separate 18-metre threshold for the Regulation 10 door-check frequencies.

What does a Regulation 10 fire-door check cover?

The basic visual check covers the door leaf and frame, the self-closing device, visible damage, gaps, glazing and any fitted strips or seals. Available certification or specification can help, but the Regulation 10 check is not a substitute for the fire risk assessment or a specialist assessment of inherent fire resistance.

Who is responsible for the checks?

The responsible person under the Fire Safety Order — often a freeholder or another person with control of the common parts — must ensure the Regulation 10 checks are completed. A managing agent may perform functions on the responsible person’s behalf. Responsibility for maintaining a particular flat entrance door can also depend on the lease, but that does not remove the responsible person’s check duty.

What happens when a check finds a defect?

The defect and any unsuccessful attempt to gain access should be recorded and followed up. Basic faults may be repairable; replacement is appropriate where the fire risk assessment or a competent assessment finds the door inadequate and repair is not suitable. Lack of current certification alone is not an automatic reason to replace an existing door.

Next Steps

Local Level 3 building survey guides

About the author

Savas Bulduk

BSc (Hons) MRICS, Director & Chartered Building Surveyor.

Writes on Building surveying, Fire safety and facade, External wall systems, Technical due diligence, Contract administration. See the full team profile.

BSc (Hons) MRICS

Fire Door Inspection Requirements for London Residential Blocks