Duties by building height.
| Tier | Applies to | Core duties |
|---|---|---|
| All multi-occupied residential buildings | Two or more sets of domestic premises | Provide residents with fire safety instructions (what to do, how to report, evacuation strategy) and information on the importance of fire doors — on occupation and at least annually (Reg 9–10) |
| Above 11 metres | Typically 5+ storeys | Quarterly checks of communal fire doors; annual checks of flat entrance doors on a best-endeavours basis (Reg 10) |
| High-rise: above 18 metres or 7+ storeys | High-rise residential | Secure information box with contact details and floor plans (Reg 4); external wall design and materials information to the fire service (Reg 5); electronic floor and building plans to the fire service (Reg 6); monthly checks of lifts for firefighter use and key firefighting equipment, with defects reported and records kept (Reg 7); wayfinding signage visible in low light — floor and flat numbering (Reg 8) |
The fire door duty in practice
For buildings above 11 metres, responsible persons must use best endeavours to check flat entrance doors at least annually and must check communal doors quarterly: closing fully against the frame, self-closer operation, seals and glazing intact, no unauthorised alteration. Findings feed the action plan, and defects to flat entrance doors trigger the cooperation machinery with leaseholders. Full specification detail sits in the fire door guide.
Monthly checks in high-rise
Regulation 7 requires monthly checks of lifts for use by firefighters, evacuation lifts, and equipment including rising mains outlets, smoke control systems and firefighting shafts. A fault that cannot be fixed within 24 hours must be reported to the fire and rescue service, and repair progress recorded. Records must be available to residents — a transparency duty audits now test.
"The responsible person must... undertake monthly routine checks of lifts for use by firefighters and evacuation lifts, and check the functionality of other key pieces of firefighting equipment."Regulation 7, Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
How the Regulations relate to the fire risk assessment.
The Regulations do not replace the Article 9 duty — they operationalise it. The fire risk assessment remains the master document; the Regulations dictate specific recurring checks whose records an assessor and an auditing officer will both expect to see. An assessment of a high-rise block that does not verify Regulation 4–8 compliance is unlikely to be suitable and sufficient. Breach of the Regulations is an offence enforced by the fire and rescue authority alongside the Order.