Fire Door Compliance Guide for Landlords and Managing Agents

For landlords and managing agents, fire door compliance is one of the most scrutinised — and misunderstood — areas of building safety. This guide breaks down exactly what you’re responsible for and how to stay on the right side of the regulations.

Who is responsible for fire door compliance?

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, the “responsible person” — often the landlord or managing agent — must ensure fire doors are correctly installed and maintained. In multi-occupied residential buildings, this includes regular checks of communal fire doors.

What a compliant fire door looks like in practice

A compliant fire door isn’t just the door leaf. Six elements must all be right:

• Door leaf and frame — certified, undamaged and correctly hung
• Hinges — CE-marked, fire-rated and securely fixed
• Seals — intact intumescent and smoke seals
• Door closer — fully closing the door from any angle
• Gaps and alignment — consistent 2–4 mm gaps around the leaf
• Hardware — certified handles, locks and latches

Common fire door inspection failures

The most frequent issues we find include damaged or missing seals, excessive gaps, faulty or disconnected closers, unapproved modifications, propped-open doors, and incorrect or missing certification. Any one of these can render a fire door non-compliant.

A simple pre-inspection routine

1. Check the door closes fully and latches from any open position
2. Inspect seals for damage or gaps
3. Measure gaps around the leaf (2–4 mm is typical)
4. Confirm hinges and hardware are secure and certified
5. Look for a valid certification label

Ongoing inspection, maintenance and records

Communal fire doors in higher-risk residential buildings should be checked at least every three months, with flat entrance doors checked annually. Keep dated records and photographs of every inspection — documentation is your evidence of compliance.