Fire Safety in Multi-Occupancy Buildings: A Guide for Managing Agents

If you are a managing agent, landlord or building manager responsible for a block of flats or a multi-occupied building, you have specific fire safety duties for the shared parts of the building. This guide explains those duties in plain English and where a fire safety consultancy can help.

Your legal duties for the common parts

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and the additional duties introduced by the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (in force since 23 January 2023), the responsible person must make sure fire safety in the common parts is adequate. Common parts typically include:

• stairwells, corridors and entrance halls;
• lift lobbies, plant rooms and shared services;
• communal lounges, laundries, kitchens and stores;
• fire exits and escape routes.

You are responsible for the fire risk assessment of the common parts, the fire doors between flats and common parts, the detection, alarm and emergency lighting systems serving those areas, and the escape routes. You are not responsible for fire safety inside individual flats, that is the resident’s responsibility, but residents must not damage or undermine the common-part measures (for example by propping fire doors).

Since 1 October 2023, the Building Safety Act 2022 also requires the responsible person to record the fire risk assessment and fire safety arrangements in full, whatever the size of the building.

Compartmentation and fire doors

Blocks of flats rely on compartmentation: fire-resisting walls, floors and doors that keep a fire contained in the flat where it starts, giving everyone else time to escape or stay put safely. This only works if fire doors close properly and are never wedged open, if walls and floors are intact, and if pipes and cables passing through them have not broken the fire seal. Communal fire doors should be checked regularly and any damage, missing closers or worn seals put right promptly. Our fire door inspections cover this in detail.

Escape routes and the clutter problem

The most common issue in multi-occupied buildings is storage in the common areas: bikes, prams, boxes and bins left in hallways and on stairs. This blocks escape routes and adds fuel for a fire. A clear, consistently enforced no-storage rule (set out in the tenancy agreement), sensible alternatives such as a bike store where possible, and a simple record of clutter removal all help demonstrate you are managing the risk.

Keeping the safety systems working

The alarm and detection, emergency lighting and electrical installations serving the common parts must be kept in good working order and tested by competent people, with the results recorded. You do not need to be a technician, but you do need a system for arranging this work and keeping the evidence. A fire risk assessment will tell you what is required for your particular building.

Records and management

Keep a simple fire safety log for the building covering the assessment and its action plan, maintenance and testing, any drills, and any incidents or concerns raised. Good records are your evidence of due diligence if a fire occurs or an enforcement officer visits, and they make managing the building far easier.

When to bring in a fire safety consultant

It is sensible to appoint a competent fire risk assessor when there has been no assessment in the last two to three years, when the building or its use changes, when an enforcement officer or insurer raises concerns, or when the building is large or complex. A consultant assesses the common parts, sets out a clear, prioritised action plan, and recommends competent contractors where work is needed. See our guidance on choosing a competent advisor and our residential fire risk assessments.