What Are the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022?
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force on 23 January 2023. They implement key recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry and sit alongside the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) and the Fire Safety Act 2021. Together, these three pieces of legislation form the current legal framework governing fire door compliance in England.
The 2022 Regulations specifically address multi-occupied residential buildings — blocks of flats and converted buildings with two or more dwellings that share common parts. If you own or manage such a building, these regulations apply to you as the Responsible Person.
Key point: The Regulations do not require that existing flat entrance doors are upgraded to meet current standards for new doors. Their purpose is narrower: to ensure existing doors remain in good working order and that self-closing devices function correctly.
Who Is the Responsible Person?
Under the RRO, the Responsible Person is whoever has control of the premises. In most residential blocks this is the freeholder, head leaseholder, or their appointed managing agent. In practice, if you collect service charges, commission maintenance, or hold the insurance policy for the building, the Responsible Person duties almost certainly rest with you.
The 2022 Regulations do not change this definition — they clarify and extend existing duties. They also make it explicit that flat entrance doors (the doors to individual dwellings) are included within the scope of "common parts", placing them firmly within the Responsible Person's remit even when a leaseholder lives behind the door.
The Inspection Requirements: What the Law Actually Requires
Regulation 10 of the 2022 Regulations creates two distinct inspection duties based on door location:
| Door Type | Minimum Inspection Frequency | Buildings in Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Fire doors in communal areas (lobbies, stairwells, corridors) | Every 3 months (quarterly) | All residential buildings with two or more dwellings and common parts |
| Flat entrance fire doors (doors to individual flats) | At least every 12 months (annually) | Buildings over 11 metres in height |
The government guidance states that the Responsible Person must use best endeavours to access and check flat entrance doors annually. Where a resident refuses access, the Responsible Person must document their attempts and the refusal — this is their defence in any subsequent enforcement action.
For buildings under 11 metres, annual flat entrance door checks are not legally mandated by the 2022 Regulations but remain best practice and may be required under your fire risk assessment.
What Must the Checks Cover?
The Regulations do not prescribe a detailed inspection methodology — they require checks to be carried out by a "competent person". Government guidance identifies the following as the minimum to assess during a check:
- Whether each door can close fully and securely from any position without being held or propped open
- That the self-closing device (door closer) is functioning and the door is not wedged or propped open
- That the door and frame show no obvious damage, cracks, or warping that would compromise fire resistance
- That any glass panels in the door are intact with undamaged seals
- That letterboxes (where present) are fitted with a compliant intumescent flap and are closing properly
- That gaps around the door do not obviously exceed the industry standard of 4mm at the top and sides and the smallest practicable gap at the bottom
Important: A simple walk-past visual check does not satisfy the competent-person standard. The checker must physically test the door closer, inspect seals, and assess gaps. An FDIS-certified inspector provides a structured, documented assessment that meets and exceeds this standard.
Record-Keeping Requirements
The 2022 Regulations require the Responsible Person to keep records of inspections and any remedial action taken. In the eyes of a fire authority enforcing compliance, an undocumented check is a check that did not happen. Records should include: the date of the inspection, who carried it out, which doors were checked, any defects found, and what action was taken and when.
Digital inspection reports — such as those issued by FDIS-certified inspectors — automatically generate door-by-door records with photographic evidence, making it straightforward to demonstrate compliance to insurers, fire authorities, or a court.
Resident Communication Duties
The 2022 Regulations also place a duty on Responsible Persons to provide residents with information about fire door safety. This includes explaining why fire doors must not be propped open, what to do if a door is damaged, and how to report concerns. This information must be provided:
- To all new residents when they move in
- At least annually thereafter to all existing residents
- On request from any resident
A notice displayed in a communal area alone is not sufficient to discharge this duty.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
The fire authority (typically the local fire and rescue service) enforces the RRO and the 2022 Regulations. Enforcement options include:
- Enforcement notice: requiring specific remedial action within a set timeframe
- Prohibition notice: restricting or prohibiting use of all or part of the premises
- Prosecution: which can result in an unlimited fine and/or up to two years' imprisonment for individuals
Beyond criminal liability, non-compliance can invalidate building insurance, give rise to civil claims from residents, and create serious professional reputational risk for managing agents.
How an FDIS-Certified Inspection Satisfies the Regulations
A fire door inspection carried out by an FDIS-certified inspector goes beyond the minimum requirements of the 2022 Regulations. It provides a door-by-door pass/fail assessment against BS 8214 and the relevant test evidence, photographic documentation of every door, a prioritised remedial works schedule, and a digital report that can be shared with fire authorities, insurers, and residents on demand.
For blocks with large numbers of doors, an annual programme combining surveys by FDIS-certified contracted inspectors with quarterly competent-person checks is a practical and legally defensible approach. Our fire door maintenance contracts are designed to deliver exactly this.
Key Takeaways
- The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 apply to all residential buildings with common parts and two or more dwellings
- Communal fire doors must be checked every 3 months; flat entrance doors must be checked annually in buildings over 11 metres
- Checks must be carried out by a competent person and documented
- Residents must be given written fire door safety information at least annually
- Non-compliance can result in unlimited fines, prosecution, and insurance voidance
- inspections by FDIS-certified contracted inspectors provide the most robust and legally defensible form of compliance evidence