The Complete Guide to Fire Risk Assessments in Residential Buildings

Fire risk assessments are a legal requirement for all residential buildings with communal areas under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The “responsible person” — typically the building owner, managing agent, or freeholder — must ensure a suitable and sufficient assessment is carried out and regularly reviewed.

A fire risk assessment must identify fire hazards, evaluate the risk to people, and determine whether existing fire precautions are adequate. This includes examining means of escape, fire detection and warning systems, fire-fighting equipment, and the structural fire protection measures in the building.

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the subsequent Fire Safety Act 2021, the scope of fire risk assessments in residential buildings has been expanded. The assessment must now consider the structure, external walls, and flat entrance doors of the building. For buildings over 11 metres in height, there are additional requirements including quarterly fire door checks in communal areas and annual checks of flat entrance doors.

Key elements of a compliant fire risk assessment include: identification of fire hazards and sources of ignition, assessment of people at risk (including vulnerable residents), evaluation of existing fire safety measures, an action plan with prioritised recommendations, a review schedule (typically annual or after any significant changes), and records of all findings and actions taken.

Common failings identified in fire risk assessments include inadequate compartmentation, missing or defective fire doors, poor housekeeping in communal areas, blocked escape routes, and inadequate fire detection systems. Property managers should address these issues promptly and maintain documentary evidence of all remedial actions.

Custodia helps property managers track fire risk assessments across their entire portfolio, with automated reminders for review dates, action item tracking, and a complete audit trail of all fire safety activities.