Fire Risk Assessment for Block Management

Blocks of flats with shared areas generally require a Fire Risk Assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The Responsible Person, which may be a freeholder, landlord, management company or managing agent with sufficient control of the premises, must ensure a suitable and sufficient assessment is carried out and that identified fire risks are appropriately managed.

Block managers must arrange assessments, understand the findings, coordinate remedial work and keep fire safety records up to date.

Who Is Responsible for the Fire Risk Assessment in a Block of Flats?

The legal duty sits with the Responsible Person under the Fire Safety Order.

Depending on the ownership and management arrangements, this could include a:

• Freeholder
• Landlord
• Resident management company
• Right to Manage company
• Housing association
• Managing agent with sufficient control of the premises

More than one Responsible Person can exist where responsibility is shared.

A managing agent may arrange the Fire Risk Assessment and coordinate resulting actions on behalf of a client. However, appointing an agent or external fire risk assessor does not automatically remove the underlying responsibilities held by other Responsible Persons.

Clear management agreements are important. They should establish who commissions assessments, reviews recommendations, approves expenditure, instructs contractors and monitors outstanding actions.

What Should a Fire Risk Assessment for a Block of Flats Cover?

A block of flats Fire Risk Assessment should identify fire hazards, assess who may be at risk and evaluate the measures in place to prevent fire and limit its spread. This includes communal escape routes, fire doors, compartmentation, fire safety systems and external walls.

The assessment should reflect the building’s layout, condition, occupancy and evacuation strategy.

Read What Should a Fire Risk Assessment Include? for a more detailed breakdown.

Does the Fire Risk Assessment Include Individual Flats?

The Fire Safety Order generally does not apply inside individual flats because these are domestic premises. A block Fire Risk Assessment will therefore not normally assess fire safety within residents’ private living accommodation.

However, several elements associated with individual flats can still fall within scope. These include:

• Flat entrance doors that separate individual flats from communal areas
• Walls and floors forming part of the building’s structure and fire compartmentation
• External walls, including relevant cladding, balconies and windows
• Common escape routes used by residents to leave the building

This distinction is important for flat entrance doors. Although the door serves an individual dwelling, it can form part of the fire-resisting separation between the flat and the common escape route. Its condition can therefore affect both compartmentation and the safety of other residents.

Fire safety issues inside the flat itself may instead fall under the Housing Act 2004 via the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). Block managers should make sure the scope of the FRA is clear so they know which areas have been assessed and where separate inspections or further investigation may be required.

How Often Should a Block of Flats Have a Fire Risk Assessment?

There is no universal fixed interval for repeating a Fire Risk Assessment. The assessment must be reviewed regularly and updated when significant changes or new information could affect fire safety. The appropriate review frequency depends on the building’s risks, condition and complexity.

What Should a Managing Agent Do After Receiving a Fire Risk Assessment?

Managing agents should review the findings, identify who is responsible for each action, and make sure remedial work is prioritised, tracked, and completed. Outstanding risks should be escalated where necessary, with records maintained to demonstrate progress and completion.

Read What Happens After a Fire Risk Assessment? for a detailed guide to managing FRA actions.

What Records Should Block Managers Keep?

Responsible Persons must record their Fire Risk Assessment in full, including its findings, rather than only recording significant findings in certain circumstances.

Block management records should also make it possible to establish:

• When the assessment was completed and reviewed
• Who completed it
• What issues were identified
• What remedial actions were required
• Who was assigned each action
• When actions were completed
• What supporting evidence was received
• What inspections, testing and maintenance have taken place
• What information has been provided to residents

This becomes particularly important across larger portfolios, where fragmented records can make it difficult to demonstrate whether an issue identified months or years earlier was actually resolved.

Managing Fire Risk Effectively Across Residential Blocks 

A Fire Risk Assessment should give those managing a residential block a clear understanding of its fire risks and the measures needed to protect residents.

Effective block management then depends on what happens with that information. Recommendations need to be reviewed, actions assigned and completed, records maintained and the assessment kept up to date as the building changes.

Osterna works with managing agents, housing associations and large private landlords to deliver Fire Risk Assessments across residential portfolios, helping organisations identify risks and make informed decisions about the actions required.

Speak to Osterna about Fire Risk Assessments for your residential portfolio.