Fire Risk Assessments for Blocks of Flats

The exact scope depends on the building and the part of the UK in which it is located.

In England and Wales, the Fire Safety Order applies to the common parts of buildings containing two or more domestic premises. The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that the assessment must also consider the building’s structure, external walls and flat entrance doors opening onto common areas.

The inspection may include:

• Corridors, lobbies and stairways
• Final exits and communal escape routes
• Communal and flat entrance fire doors
• Service risers, plant rooms and cupboards
• Bin stores and other shared facilities
• Emergency lighting and smoke control
• Communal alarm systems where provided
• Firefighting facilities
• Relevant building structure and external walls
• Inspection, maintenance and resident-information arrangements

The report should state which areas were assessed, what could not be accessed and whether further specialist investigation is required.

A standard communal area fire risk assessment does not normally include inspecting the private living areas of every flat.

The assessor must still consider how a fire inside a flat could affect the common areas and neighbouring homes. Relevant features can include:

• Flat entrance doors
• Walls and floors separating flats
• Service penetrations and shared ducts
• Balconies and external wall interfaces
• Landlord-controlled systems within flats
• Alterations affecting compartmentation or escape

Access to a sample of flats may be appropriate where the assessment scope requires it or there is a specific concern.

Type 1–4 terminology is commonly used for purpose-built blocks of flats in England and Wales. The government continues to make the original guidance available, although it states that the document is no longer comprehensive for all current legal requirements.

See Types of Fire Risk Assessments Explained before commissioning flat access or intrusive work.

No. A purpose-built block of self-contained flats is not automatically a house in multiple occupation.

An HMO will usually involve people from more than one household sharing facilities or occupying accommodation under arrangements that meet the relevant housing definition.

Converted buildings can be more complicated. A building divided into flats may not have the same compartmentation, protected escape routes or construction as a purpose-built block.

The assessor should understand:

• Whether the building is purpose-built or converted
• Its original and current use
• The type of accommodation provided
• Whether facilities are shared
• Any licensing or housing requirements

See Fire Risk Assessments for HMOs for guidance on multiply occupied housing.

The assessment should establish what residents are expected to do if there is a fire.

Many purpose-built blocks use a stay-put strategy. Residents who are not directly affected remain in their flats unless conditions change or the Fire and Rescue Service instructs them to leave.

This strategy depends on the building containing a fire within the flat or compartment where it starts. Common escape routes must also remain suitably protected from fire and smoke. Government guidance for blocks of flats explains that compartmentation is central to this approach.

Other buildings may use:

• Simultaneous evacuation
• Temporary evacuation arrangements
• Progressive evacuation
• A strategy designed specifically for the building

The assessor should consider whether the stated strategy remains suitable in light of the building’s construction, known defects and current fire precautions.

Common escape routes should be checked for:

• Combustible storage and obstructions
• Suitable final exits
• Protected stairways
• Emergency lighting
• Smoke ventilation
• Fire-resisting doors
• Arrangements for people needing assistance

Fire doors and compartmentation are essential to preventing fire and smoke from spreading into escape routes and neighbouring flats.

The assessor may consider:

• Communal fire doors
• Flat entrance doors
• Self-closing devices
• Damage or unauthorised alterations
• Visible service penetrations
• Fire stopping in accessible areas
• Risers, ducts and roof voids
• Records of inspections and repairs

A general FRA is not automatically a detailed inspection of every door or a destructive investigation of hidden construction.

Where a complete door register and defect schedule are required, a separate Fire Door Survey may be appropriate.

Where concealed construction or widespread defects require further investigation, see Fire Risk Assessment vs Compartmentation Survey.

Some additional duties apply to multi-occupied residential buildings in England according to their height.

Responsible Persons for all buildings within the Fire Safety (England) Regulations must provide residents with relevant fire-safety instructions and information about the importance of fire doors.

Where the top storey is more than 11 metres above ground level, Responsible Persons must arrange:

• Quarterly checks of communal fire doors
• Best-endeavours checks of flat entrance doors at least every 12 months

High-rise residential buildings that are at least 18 metres high or contain at least seven storeys have further requirements concerning building plans, external walls, wayfinding signs, lifts and essential firefighting equipment.

These inspections and records should inform the FRA, but they do not replace it.

The assessment must consider whether the external walls could contribute to the spread of fire.

Relevant features can include:

• Cladding and insulation
• Cavity barriers
• Balconies
• Window and infill panels
• Render systems
• Attachments and decorative features
• Junctions with compartment walls and floors

Not every block requires a separate external wall appraisal.

A specialist Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls may be appropriate where the wall construction is complex, unknown or suspected of presenting a significant risk that cannot be evaluated through the normal FRA.

See FRAEW Assessments Explained.

The assessment should consider whether the building’s fire-safety arrangements are suitable for residents who may have difficulty recognising a warning, understanding instructions or evacuating without assistance.

In England, the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 came into force on 6 April 2026.

They apply to specified buildings containing at least two domestic premises that:

• Are at least 18 metres high
• Have at least seven storeys
• Are more than 11 metres high and use simultaneous evacuation

Responsible Persons for buildings within scope must use reasonable endeavours to identify relevant residents, offer person-centred assessments and complete the associated evacuation-planning process.

See Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessments Explained.

Responsibility may rest with the freeholder, landlord, management company or another organisation controlling the common parts and fire-safety arrangements.

A managing agent may arrange the assessment and resulting work, but the legal position depends on the control and authority held by each party.

Before commissioning the FRA, establish:

• Who holds the relevant legal duty
• Who controls the common areas
• Who maintains each fire-safety system
• Who can provide access and records
• Who receives urgent findings
• Who controls the remedial budget
• Who communicates with residents

See Who Is Responsible for a Fire Risk Assessment?.

Yes. The Fire Safety Order residential scope described above applies in England and Wales.

Scotland has different fire-safety and housing legislation. Scottish guidance treats a premises-based assessment of domestic common areas as good practice and focuses on the common areas and building features that can affect the safety of residents.

Northern Ireland also operates under separate legislation. Ordinary private blocks should not automatically be treated as if England’s residential requirements apply. HMOs and specialised housing may have different duties from ordinary private blocks.

See Fire Risk Assessment Legal Requirements Across the UK before applying one approach across a national portfolio.

Clients should provide the assessor with the information needed to understand the building and its management arrangements.

This may include:

• Existing FRAs and action plans
• Building plans and fire strategies
• Number of storeys and flats
• Evacuation strategy
• Fire-door inspection records
• Alarm, lighting and smoke-control records
• Compartmentation and external-wall reports
• Details of refurbishment or alterations
• Relevant fire and near-miss history
• Access arrangements for plant rooms and risers

Missing documents should be identified clearly rather than left for the assessor to discover during the visit.

A clear request for quotations should confirm:

• Whether the building is purpose-built or converted
• Height, storeys and number of flats
• Areas included in the assessment
• Known concerns
• Expected flat-door or flat-access sampling
• Available documents
• Access arrangements
• Required report format
• Assessor competence requirements
• Programme and pricing assumptions

See What Clients Should Include in a Fire Risk Assessment Tender Pack.

The wider process is covered in How Commercial Fire Protection Tendering Works and Fire Protection Tenders in the UK: The Complete Guide.

The report should distinguish between:

• Urgent precautions
• Routine management actions
• Further specialist investigations
• Planned remedial works
• Longer-term improvements

Each finding should explain the issue, location, risk and required outcome clearly enough for the client to assign and manage it.

See Understanding a Fire Risk Assessment Action Plan for guidance on prioritising and closing actions.

The wider route from report receipt to completed remedial work is covered in What Happens After a Fire Risk Assessment.

Common mistakes include:

• Assessing only the corridors and ignoring building-wide risks
• Treating a converted block as purpose-built without checking
• Assuming the FRA includes a full door or compartmentation survey
• Failing to confirm the evacuation strategy
• Ignoring residents who may require assistance
• Providing incomplete records
• Failing to act on repeated recommendations
• Treating routine maintenance checks as a replacement for the FRA

A useful residential block fire risk assessment should connect the building’s construction, occupants, management and evacuation arrangements into one clear evaluation of risk.

Does every block of flats need a fire risk assessment?

In England and Wales, the relevant common parts, structure, external walls and flat entrance doors must be considered under the Fire Safety Order. The precise legal position differs elsewhere in the UK.

Does the assessment include every flat?

Not normally. It generally focuses on common areas and building-wide risks, although sample flat access may be needed for certain assessment types.

How often should the assessment be reviewed?

It should be reviewed regularly and whenever changes, incidents, new defects or remedial works mean the existing findings may no longer be valid.

Is a detailed fire-door inspection included?

The assessor will normally consider relevant doors, but a complete door-by-door survey and defect schedule may require a separate service.

Does a low-rise block still need fire-safety management?

Yes. Although some additional duties only apply above specified height thresholds, lower-rise blocks still require suitable management of escape routes, doors, common areas and other relevant risks.