Fire door inspection requirements for blocks of flats (Regulation 10)

What the law requires

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 were made under the Fire Safety Order and came into force on 23 January 2023. Two regulations deal with fire doors.

Regulation 9 – information for residents (all blocks with two or more flats)

The responsible person must tell residents that fire doors should be kept shut when not in use, that they shouldn't tamper with self-closing devices, and that they should report any fault or damage immediately. This information should be given when residents move in and at least every 12 months.

Regulation 10 – checks (blocks over 11 metres)

In residential buildings over 11 metres, the responsible person must:

• Check all fire doors in the common parts – including their self-closing devices – at least every three months
• Use best endeavours to check all flat entrance doors – including self-closers – at least every 12 months

"Best endeavours" means making genuine attempts to get access. Keep a record of every attempt, not just completed checks.

What a check should cover

The fire door inspection requirements don't call for a full survey every time. A routine Regulation 10 check, but it should look at:

• The door leaf – damage, holes, alterations, missing or non-fire-rated replacement doors
• Gaps around the door when closed – typically around 3–4mm at the sides and head – and at the threshold
• Intumescent strips and smoke seals – present, continuous and undamaged
• The self-closer – does the door close fully and latch from any angle?
• Hinges – secure, with no missing screws
• Glazing – intact and fire-rated
• Ironmongery and letterplates – nothing added that compromises the door
• Signage on communal doors, such as "Fire door – keep shut"

The defects we find most often

• Self-closers removed, disconnected or too weak – especially on flat entrance doors
• Excessive gaps after doors have dropped or frames have moved
• Painted-over or missing intumescent strips and smoke seals
• Doors wedged open in corridors and stairwells
• Flat entrance doors replaced by leaseholders with non-fire-rated doors
• Unsealed holes for new locks, spy holes or cabling

Who's responsible for flat entrance doors?

That depends on the lease. Flat entrance doors often fall within the leaseholder's demise, but the responsible person still has duties under Regulation 10 and the Fire Safety Order. Where a leaseholder's door is defective, you'll need a clear process for notifying them and following up.

Routine checks vs detailed surveys

Routine checks can be carried out by a competent person, such as a trained building manager. A detailed fire door survey by a specialist inspector records each door's construction and condition, photographs defects, and produces a prioritised remedial schedule – useful when you take on a building, before a remedial programme, or for a safety case.

Setting up a fire door inspection programme

1. Create a door register. List every communal fire door and every flat entrance door, with its location.
2. Decide who checks what. Trained building staff can usually carry out quarterly communal checks; a specialist may be better for annual flat entrance door checks and detailed surveys.
3. Use a consistent checklist and photograph defects.
4. Write to residents before annual flat entrance door checks, and try different times of day.
5. Record every attempt to gain access, as well as completed checks.
6. Prioritise repairs – a door that won't close is more urgent than a cosmetic defect.
7. Feed results into the fire risk assessment, and track trends across the building.

Our fire door inspections cover both routine Regulation 10 checks and detailed surveys. Fire doors are one part of the building's compartmentation – see compartmentation surveys.

Sources

• GOV.UK – Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: fact sheet on fire doors (regulation 10)
• legislation.gov.uk – The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 10
• NFCC – Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 FAQs

This guide is general information based on the law and guidance in England as at 8 November 2026. It isn't legal advice – for advice on a specific building, get in touch.