link to ringley website
  • Home
  • About Us
    About us & leadership Awards Savings for Clients Case Studies Green Management Strategies Market Overview Leasehold Reform Campaign Money Back Guarantee
  • Our Services
    • Asset Management
      • UK Asset Management
      • Project Monitoring
      • ESG Consultancy & Implementation
      • PropTech & Living Sectors Platform
      • Marketing Insights
      • Resident Journey
      • Stabilised Assets
      • UK Build to Rent
      • UK Later Living
      • UK Co-Living
      • UK Student Accommodation
      • UK Single Family Housing
    • Block Management
      • Overview - London
      • Overview - Wales & West
      • Overview - Southwest
      • Right to Manage
      • Freehold Management
      • Resident Management
      • Estates of Houses
      • Ground Rent Collection
      • How to change agent?
      • Block Management Services
      • Can't afford an agent?
      • Legal & Tribunals
      • Top 10 Tips
      • Report an incident
    • Commercial Management
    • Law
      • Overview
      • Meet The Team
      • Recommendations
      • Right to Manage
      • Lease Extensions
      • Freehold Purchase
      • Absentee Freeholder
      • Court Appointed Manager
      • Conveyancing - Wales
      • Conveyancing - England
      • Service Charge/Rent Arrears Recovery
      • Company Secretary
    • Property Valuations
      • Overview
      • Loan Security
      • Company Accounts
      • Lease Extensions
      • Freehold Purchase
      • Rent Reviews
      • Ground Rent Investment
      • Development Valuations
      • Expert Witness & Litigation
      • Tax, Trusts & Accounts Valuations
      • Trading Business
      • Compulsory Purchase
      • Residential Valuations
    • Engineering
      • Overview
      • EWS1 Consultancy
      • Asbestos
      • Contract Administration
      • Fire Assesment
      • Homebuyer Survey
      • Building Survey
      • Schedules
      • Party Wall Matters
      • Principle Designer
      • Disability Access Audits
      • Small Building Works
      • Fire Door Inspection
      • Insurance Valuations
    • Property Accounting
      • Finance
      • Quote For Service Charge Accounts?
      • Property Accounting Law
      • Accounting Updates
      • To Audit or Not?
    • Plant & Facilities Management
      • Plant & Facilities Management
      • Fire Door Inspection APP
      • Fire Safety Update
    • Site Staffing Solutions
      • Ringley Integrated Site Staff Solutions
    • Leasehold Guidance
      • Overview
      • Right to Manage
      • Purchasing The Freehold
      • Court Appointed Manager
      • Absentee Freeholder
  • Insights
    Asset Management Articles Block Management Blogs Publications BTR Rental Market Blogs Customer Insights FAQ - Ask Our Experts Insurance Calculator
  • ESG
  • E-books
  • Get In Touch
  •    
  • Work with us
  •  
  • Portal Login
How fire-safe is your flat front door?

Written by: Maryanne Bowring 17/05/2021
  730       0
Responsive image

New Fire Safety Act Brings Changes to Front Door Regulations

Amidst the ongoing debate over cladding remediation costs, many leaseholders may not have noticed that the Fire Safety Act, which became law in April, has introduced new rules on flat front doors. Previously, flat entrance doors were the responsibility of individual residents. They were considered part of the private property rather than common areas managed by property managers. However, the new Act has expanded fire safety rules under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) to now include fire doors in multiple occupancy buildings.

Why Flat Entrance Doors Matter for Fire Safety

Your flat’s front door plays a crucial role in compartmentation, meaning it helps prevent a fire from spreading within your building. If it fails to meet the required fire protection standards, it could put your entire floor or block at risk. As a result, if your door does not comply with the new regulations, you may now be required to replace it to ensure adequate fire safety.

What Fire Safety Tests Does Your Door Need to Pass?

To meet the updated regulations, your flat entrance door must undergo fire safety tests that check for:

  • Intumescent strips – Expand when exposed to heat to help seal gaps.
  • Self-closers – Ensure the door automatically closes after opening.
  • Smoke seals – Prevent smoke from leaking through the door edges.
  • Fire resistance of at least 30 minutes – Your door must be able to withstand fire for a minimum of half an hour.
  • Structural integrity – No compromising alterations such as letterboxes that could weaken fire resistance.

If your door fails to meet these essential fire safety requirements, it will need to be replaced with a compliant door.

Fire Door Inspections Are Now Mandatory

With the new legislation in place, managing agents are now required to carry out regular fire door inspections. These checks include:

  • Assessing external and internal door conditions
  • Ensuring doors fit properly and close automatically
  • Checking for any damage or alterations that may reduce fire resistance

While the term ‘regular inspections’ is not strictly defined, guidance from BWF-CERTFIRE Best Practice Guide and the London Fire Brigade suggests that fire doors should be inspected every six months.

What This Means for Leaseholders

For residents, this means:

  1. You must allow access for inspections, including checks inside your flat to assess the door’s fit and self-closer functionality.
  2. If your door does not meet the required standard, you will be responsible for replacing it.
  3. Your servicechargesorted.co.uk/blogs/digital-solution-can-improve-the-whole-process-by-making-it-faster-and-more-transparent'>service charge may increase, as landlords and property managers will need to cover the cost of these mandatory inspections and any necessary upgrades.
The Bigger Picture: Safer Blocks but Increased Costs

The new fire door regulations will ultimately lead to safer apartment buildings, ensuring fire risks are minimized. However, leaseholders should be prepared for potential servicechargesorted.co.uk/blogs/digital-solution-can-improve-the-whole-process-by-making-it-faster-and-more-transparent'>service charge increases to cover regular inspections and compliance costs. At Ringley, we are committed to ensuring that all our managed buildings comply with fire safety regulations while keeping residents informed about any changes. We will be discussing the potential impact on servicechargesorted.co.uk/blogs/digital-solution-can-improve-the-whole-process-by-making-it-faster-and-more-transparent'>service charges later this week—so stay tuned for updates.



Property Management Block Management
POPULAR POSTS

Solar panels on flats - what you need to know

Is noise getting you down?

Ground Rent: Fines for Landlords Who Charge Ground Rent

High Court: Right to Rent does breach human rights

Landlords beware - Don't believe everything you read!

RECENT POSTS

UK Leasehold Reform: Moving Towards Commonhold Ownership

Government to Introduce Single Construction Regulator by 2028 in Response to Grenfell Inquiry

Real Estate Experts Urge House of Lords to Amend Renters Reform Bill

Real Estate Developers Boost Investment in UK Student Accommodation Sector

Changes to Right to Manage Rules Announced Under Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024



Blogs related:

ASSET MANAGEMENT
Housing: Permitted Development Rights Extended
In 2013, the UK government introduced Permitted Development Rights (PDR) as a temporary measure to boost housing supply. By allowing office buildings to be converted into residential units without full planning permission, the government aimed to address the housing shortage. This section explores the origins of PDR and how it evolved from a temporary fix to a permanent policy in 2016.

Read


ASSET MANAGEMENT
Is commonhold really the answer to flat owners' problems?
The new Commonhold Council held its first meeting last month, marking an important step in exploring commonhold as an alternative to leasehold ownership. The idea of commonhold is not new; in 2018, the Law Commission proposed reforms aimed at making it a viable option for homeowners. Now, this advisory panel will assess those recommendations and determine if they can be implemented effectively. Their goal? To see whether commonhold could provi...

Read


ASSET MANAGEMENT
Is it time to ditch licensing schemes?
Passports are becoming a hot topic in the rental market, with recent discussions about deposit passporting and the introduction of a potential rental property passport. This concept, suggested by Theresa Wallace, head of lettings customer relations at Savills, could revolutionize the way rental properties are managed.

Read


Meet our Expert Property Commentators

Mary-Anne Bowring FTPI FRICS FARLA FCABE Founder/Head of Asset Management

Strategic partnerships, holistic delivery/ opportunities, growth, value engineering, thought leadership

Ian Barber MD BTR Mobilisation & Leasing

Runs HQ & site lease-up teams. Drives rent pricing, mobilisation, marketing, happy residents!

Jon Curtis MRICS Head of Building Engineering

Chartered Building Surveyor. Lectures on EWS1 & building safety. Runs CapEx programmes.

Kate Robinson MTPI MD Blocks/FM Management (London Region)

Master plan setup, ops and staffing and resident engagement. ISO45001 champion.

Lee Harle Partner Ringley Law

Plot conveyancing. Debt litigation. Group Company Secretary.

Anthony Kingdon MIRPM AssocRICS MD Blocks/FM Management (North Region)

Stakeholder engagement. Mixed tenure specialist. Budget management. Plant audit, PPM compliance.

Chris Georgalis MRICS Head of Commercial Valuation

Chartered Valuer. Rental valuations: retail, leisure. IRR modelling and valuations for secured lending. Compulsory purchase & rent reviews

Nichola Pughe MRICS Head of Residential Valuation

Chartered Valuer. Rental development & mixed use valuations, IRR modelling. Leasehold enfranchisement specialist

Natalie Birmingham Helpdesk Support Manager

Trainer & Helpdesk Manager: people, systems,contractors. ISO45001 supply chain accreditation.

Steve Norman Planning Director

Land due diligence (opportunities & constraints) Has contributed to a number of award winning schemes.


inshights shared - link to planetrent blogs

Landlord blog
Read landlord blog
inshights shared - link to ringley blogs

Property blogs
Read property blogs
inshights shared - link to ringley articles

Property articles
Read property articles
inshights shared - link to ringley ebooks

E-books
Read E-books

link to ringley social media facebook link to ringley social media instagram link to ringley social media linkedin link to ringley social media x-twitter
link to ringley social media x-twitter for small device
link to ringley social media linkedin for small device
link to ringley social media instagram for small device
link to ringley social media facebook for small device
  • Ringley Group
  • About us
  • CSR / ESG
  • BusyLiving
  • PlanetRent
  • Talk to us
  • Careers
  • Ask a Question
  • Insights
  • Articles
  • Blogs
  • Subscribe
  • BTR & PRS Buildings
  • What we do
  • Asset Management
  • Block Management
  • Facilities Management
  • Property Law
  • Surveying / Valuation
  • Building Engineering
  • Financial Services
  • Managing Agents
  • Block Management Locations
  • Co-working
  • Renting & Letting
  • Right to Manage
  • Contractor Management
  • Space to Work
  • Fees and Client Money Protections
  • Email: solutions@ringley.co.uk

  • Emergency line 1: 0207 428 2056

  • Emergency line 2: 0207 267 2900

  • Report an incident
  • Our Offices
  • London
  • Ringley House
  • 1 Castle Road
  • London
  • NW1 8PR
  • T: 0207 267 2900
  • London
  • Ringley House
  • 47 Rochester Place
  • London
  • NW1 9JL
  • Manchester
  • 11 Swan Street
  • Northern Quarter
  • Manchester
  • M4 5JJ
  • T: 0330 174 7777
  • Cardiff
  • 122 West Bute Street
  • Cardiff Bay
  • Cardiff
  • CF10 5LJ
  • T: 0330 174 7747
Privacy Policy
Ringley Staff Dashboard
link to ifsm website link to tpi website link to tpos website link to rics website link to ukgbc website link to government security industry authority website link to alep website

All content © copyright 2025. Ringley Limited. All Rights reserved. Ringley Limited, incorporated and registered in England and wales. Registered office: Ringley House, 1 Castle Road, London, NW1 8PR. Company No. 03302438
Terms of use | Privacy Policy | Modern slavery act | COVID-19 risk assessment