What Is a Fire Risk Assessment?

A fire risk assessment is a structured evaluation of a building’s fire hazards, people at risk, and the adequacy of existing precautions. It is central to residential fire safety compliance and among the most scrutinised documents you hold. 

Following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and wider building safety reforms, regulators expect housing associations, managing agents, and landlords to maintain stronger oversight of fire safety management across their portfolios.

In this article, we outline what a fire risk assessment is, what it should include, the main assessment types, and the legal duties that govern fire safety compliance in residential buildings.

What Happens in a Fire Risk Assessment?

A fire risk assessment examines how fire could start within a building, how it could spread, and whether existing fire safety measures adequately protect residents and other relevant persons.

Within residential buildings, the assessment focuses on the common parts of the property alongside the management of fire safety arrangements across the building. The assessor reviews both physical fire precautions and the effectiveness of ongoing fire safety management processes.

A fire risk assessment should assess:

• Sources of ignition
• Combustible materials and storage risks
• Means of escape and escape route protection
• Fire alarm and detection systems
• Emergency lighting
• Fire extinguishers and firefighting equipment
• Fire doors and compartmentation
• Evacuation procedures and fire strategies
• Risks affecting vulnerable occupants

The assessment should also identify areas of non-compliance, rank fire safety risks by priority, and outline the actions required to improve fire safety standards and maintain effective risk control measures across the building.

Is It a Legal Requirement to Conduct a Fire Risk Assessment?

In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the Responsible Person to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment for non-domestic premises and the communal areas of multi-occupied residential buildings.

The legislation applies to buildings such as:

• Blocks of flats
• HMOs
• Sheltered accommodation
• Student accommodation
• Mixed-use residential buildings

The Fire Safety Act 2021 expanded the scope of the legislation by confirming that external walls, cladding systems, balconies, and flat entrance doors opening onto communal areas fall within scope.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced additional duties for Responsible Persons within higher-risk residential buildings, including requirements relating to fire door inspections, resident information, and cooperation with Fire and Rescue Services.

In Scotland, fire safety duties are governed by the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Although the legislation differs, duty holders must still assess fire risks and maintain suitable fire safety measures within relevant premises.

Types of Fire Risk Assessment

Different types of fire risk assessments are used depending on the level of inspection required within the building. The assessment type will usually depend on factors such as the building’s construction, age, fire strategy, and whether concerns exist around compartmentation or structural fire protection.

We have broken down the four different types below.

Type 1 Fire Risk Assessment

A Type 1 fire risk assessment is the standard assessment carried out within most residential buildings under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

The inspection focuses on the common parts of the building and is non-destructive in nature. The assessor will review whether occupants can safely escape in the event of a fire and whether suitable fire precautions are in place throughout communal areas.

The assessment typically includes inspection of:

• Escape routes and stairwells
• Fire doors opening onto communal areas
• Emergency lighting
• Fire alarm systems
• Signage and firefighting equipment

A Type 1 assessment does not normally require access into individual flats. However, the findings may identify concerns that require further investigation through a more detailed assessment type.

Type 2 Fire Risk Assessment

A Type 2 fire risk assessment involves intrusive inspection works within the common parts of the building.

This type of assessment is usually recommended where previous inspections identify concerns around compartmentation, fire stopping, or hidden structural fire protection measures that cannot be properly assessed through visual inspection alone.

The assessment may involve opening sections of walls, ceilings, risers, or service penetrations to inspect concealed fire protection measures. Because the inspection is destructive, organisations often arrange these assessments during refurbishment works or void periods where possible.

Type 3 Fire Risk Assessment

A Type 3 fire risk assessment extends beyond the communal areas and includes inspection within individual flats.

The assessment reviews how fire safety arrangements inside flats may affect the overall fire strategy of the building. This can include inspection of:

• Flat entrance doors
• Internal means of escape
• Smoke detection arrangements
• Fire separation between flats and communal areas
• Compartmentation measures

Type 3 assessments are often used within older residential buildings, converted properties, HMOs, and higher-risk buildings where additional assurance around compartmentation and fire spread is required.

The assessment requires access to occupied dwellings; organisations often need to coordinate closely with residents, managing agents, and housing teams to arrange access.

Type 4 Fire Risk Assessment

A Type 4 fire risk assessment is the most intrusive form of fire risk assessment.

The inspection includes intrusive sampling within both communal areas and individual flats to assess hidden fire stopping, compartmentation, and structural fire protection measures throughout the building.

Type 4 assessments are generally reserved for buildings where significant fire safety concerns exist, particularly where previous assessments, refurbishment works, or intrusive surveys identify serious defects affecting fire compartmentation or means of escape.

Due to the intrusive nature of the works, organisations often arrange Type 4 assessments during major remediation projects, refurbishment programmes, or void periods where practical.

Why Do Fire Risk Assessments Matter?

Fire risk assessments help you identify weaknesses in your building’s fire safety arrangements before they lead to serious incidents, enforcement action, or harm to residents.

For housing associations, managing agents, and landlords, the assessment provides a working overview of how effectively fire risks are being controlled across the building and whether existing fire precautions remain suitable for the property’s layout, occupancy profile, and fire strategy.

A compliant fire risk assessment also supports:

• Better visibility of high-risk defects across residential portfolios
• More effective budgeting and remediation planning
• Stronger audit and inspection readiness
• Clearer evidence of compliance responsibilities
• Improved resident safety management

If you manage higher-risk residential buildings, regulators increasingly expect evidence that fire safety risks are actively monitored, reviewed, and addressed through structured compliance processes.

What Does a Competent Fire Risk Assessor Do?

A competent fire risk assessor identifies fire hazards, evaluates existing fire precautions, and provides clear recommendations to reduce fire risks and improve compliance across the building.

Many housing associations and managing agents appoint third-party accredited providers to strengthen compliance assurance. Within the fire risk assessment sector, BAFE SP205 is one of the most widely recognised certification schemes for organisations delivering fire risk assessment services.

What Does Competent Mean?

A competent fire risk assessor is a person who has the necessary skills, knowledge, experience, and personal qualities to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment safely and effectively.

BS 8674:2025, Built environment. Framework for competence of individual fire risk assessors. Code of practice, establishes a formal competency framework for individual assessors. The standard recognises different competency levels depending on building complexity and fire risk:

• Foundation
• Intermediate
• Advanced

A competent assessor should understand:

• Fire safety legislation and regulatory requirements
• Building construction and compartmentation
• Means of escape and evacuation strategies
• Fire alarm and detection systems
• Fire doors and passive fire protection

Following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and wider building safety reforms, regulators are placing greater scrutiny on assessor competence, audit trails, and the quality of fire risk assessment reporting.

Managing Fire Risk Assessments Across Your Portfolio

A well-executed fire risk assessment should lead to clear priorities, proportionate remedial actions, and auditable compliance for each building in your portfolio. 

If you are responsible for fire safety compliance across a residential portfolio and need a trusted, BAFE SP205-accredited provider, Osterna can help. 

We work with housing associations, managing agents, and large private landlords across the UK, delivering Fire Risk Assessments, asset testing, fire door inspections, and building compliance services. 

Get in touch with the Osterna team today.