Fire door checks under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: a practical guide

Who regulation 10 applies to

Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 places duties on the responsible person for the common parts of a residential building — typically the freeholder, or someone who has control of the building such as a managing agent. The regulations apply in England.

It sets up two separate duties, with different scopes:

• Information for residents applies to every building with two or more sets of domestic premises and common parts that residents would use to escape in a fire — purpose-built or converted.
• Routine fire door checks apply only where the top storey is more than 11 metres above ground level. GOV.UK says that is typically a building of more than four storeys; the regulations measure it to the top storey using the method in Approved Document B.

Lower buildings are not off the hook. GOV.UK points out that responsible persons for residential buildings below 11 metres still have a duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to put general fire precautions in place, including making sure fire doors — flat entrance doors included — provide adequate protection, and to keep fire safety measures maintained.

Information for residents

Residents must be told, in effect, that:

• fire doors should be kept shut when not in use;
• residents and their guests should not tamper with self-closing devices; and
• any faults or damage to doors should be reported to the responsible person immediately.

New residents should get this as soon as reasonably practicable after moving in, and all residents must get it again within every 12-month period. GOV.UK also says that if a resident wants to alter or replace their front door, it should be done with the responsible person's knowledge and agreement.

How often to check

In buildings whose top storey is above 11 metres, the responsible person must:

• check fire doors in communal areas at least every 3 months — doors to stairs and lobbies, doors that sub-divide corridors, and doors to plant rooms, cupboards and service risers; and
• use best endeavours to check flat entrance doors at least every 12 months.

Both checks must include making sure the self-closing devices work. Lift landing doors are not included. Because communal doors take far more wear and tear, GOV.UK suggests keeping an eye on them whenever the building is visited for other checks, not just once a quarter.

What to check

The checks are visual. They are about spotting obvious damage and making sure the door still works as it did when the fire risk assessment looked at it. For each door, GOV.UK lists points including:

• a fire-resisting flat entrance door has not been swapped for one that is not fire-resisting;
• letterboxes close firmly and are not jammed open;
• no damage to the door, frame, glazing or surrounding wall that could let fire or smoke through;
• hinges and other ironmongery have no obvious defects, such as missing or loose screws;
• intumescent strips and smoke seals, if fitted, are undamaged, touch the door or frame and are not painted over;
• the gap between the door and frame is not too large — GOV.UK quotes the industry standard of no more than 4mm, except at the bottom, where it should be as small as practicable; and
• the door closes fully into its frame on its own, both when let go from fully open and from about 15 degrees open.

For doors held open on magnetic hold-open devices, GOV.UK says to use the test button, where provided, rather than pulling the door off its magnet. Plant room and riser doors may be self-closing or kept locked shut.

The guidance was revised in August 2025 to stress that these checks are not about bringing existing doors up to today's standards for new buildings. Missing intumescent strips or smoke seals, or the lack of a certificate, on an older door do not by themselves mean it is unfit — its fire resistance is a question for the fire risk assessment.

Who can do the checks

GOV.UK says the regulation 10 checks should be simple and basic, and that you should not need to engage a specialist. With appropriate instruction, caretakers, managing agents, housing officers and maintenance staff should be able to do them — for example during other routine visits — because they are visual and do not involve tools. If a check turns up damage, a more detailed inspection, possibly by a specialist, may be appropriate.

Records and access problems

For flat entrance doors, the regulation requires a record of the steps taken to carry out the checks, including — where a resident did not give access during the 12-month period — what was done to try to get in. GOV.UK suggests planning the checks with a checklist and says electronic records are an option.

“Best endeavours” is about how you approach access. GOV.UK suggests agreeing a date with each resident and offering a range of times so they can be there, and notes that in all but very small blocks it is unlikely every door can be checked in one visit. Keep the evidence of your attempts, such as letters and emails. If a resident persistently refuses, legal action might ultimately need to be considered.

The regulation does not spell out a record for communal door checks, but keeping a dated record of every check — and every repair — is the simplest way to show the quarterly checks happened.

When you find a fault

The responsible person needs arrangements in place to deal with what the checks find. Where a fire door — communal or flat entrance — needs repair or replacement, GOV.UK says the work must be done by a competent contractor as soon as reasonably practicable. Whether the person doing the checks can also fix things depends on their skills and experience. If a resident has replaced their door, they will need to confirm it is fire-resisting and was fitted by a competent person, and provide the technical details.

How to organise the checks

• Start from the fire risk assessment: list every communal fire door and flat entrance door by floor.
• Run communal doors as a quarterly round, with one stop per landing covering the doors on that floor.
• Spread flat entrance door checks across the year, booking access with residents in advance.
• Send the residents’ fire door information to new residents when they move in and to everyone at least once a year.
• Record each check with the date, who did it and what was found, and track every fault until it is fixed.