Fire Safety Regulations in 2026: What Landlords and Housing Providers Need to Know
Fire safety legislation places significant responsibilities on landlords, housing associations, managing agents and commercial property owners. Understanding those responsibilities is essential to protecting people, maintaining safe buildings and avoiding enforcement action.
Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, important changes have strengthened fire safety requirements, particularly in multi-occupied residential buildings.
For responsible persons, compliance means more than arranging a fire risk assessment. It involves identifying hazards, addressing defects, maintaining fire protection measures and keeping appropriate records.
Here, Legionella & Fire Safe Services explains the key legal responsibilities affecting properties in England and how organisations can manage them.
Understanding Fire Safety Legislation
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 remains the principal legislation governing fire safety in non-domestic premises in England and Wales, including the common parts of blocks of flats.
Important changes have been introduced through the Fire Safety Act 2021, Building Safety Act 2022 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
These requirements remain highly relevant in 2026.
Fire Risk Assessments and Record Keeping
Responsible persons must ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is carried out and reviewed regularly.
For relevant multi-occupied residential buildings, assessments must consider the structure, external walls and flat entrance doors.
Since October 2023, responsible persons have also been required to record their fire risk assessments in full, regardless of the number of employees.
Assessments must be reviewed when necessary, particularly following significant changes to a building, its use or the risks present.
Competent Fire Risk Assessors
Choosing an appropriately competent fire risk assessor is essential to obtaining a reliable assessment.
The government has been developing proposals for mandatory professional certification, including a consultation launched in March 2026.
Responsible persons should ensure anyone appointed to undertake an assessment has the appropriate knowledge, experience and competence for the premises involved.
Fire Door Inspection and Maintenance
Fire doors are an essential part of a building’s passive fire protection.
Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, responsible persons for relevant residential buildings over 11 metres must:
- Undertake checks of communal fire doors at least every three months.
- Use best endeavours to check flat entrance fire doors at least annually.
- Maintain records of attempts to access flats where required checks cannot be completed.
Fire doors in other buildings must also be adequately maintained in accordance with the applicable fire safety duties and the findings of the fire risk assessment.
Damaged seals, defective closers, excessive gaps and poorly maintained doors can seriously compromise fire protection.
Resident Fire Safety Information
Responsible persons for multi-occupied residential buildings with common parts must provide residents with relevant fire safety instructions and information about fire doors.
This includes explaining the building’s evacuation arrangements and encouraging residents to report damaged fire doors or defective self-closing devices.
Clear communication is particularly important for housing providers supporting residents who may need additional assistance.
Enforcement and Legal Responsibilities
Fire and rescue authorities have enforcement powers where organisations fail to meet their fire safety obligations.
Serious breaches can result in enforcement notices, prosecution, substantial fines and, in appropriate cases, imprisonment.
Responsible persons must act upon identified risks and ensure suitable fire safety precautions are maintained.
What Should Landlords and Housing Providers Be Doing?
Maintaining compliance requires ongoing attention rather than treating a fire risk assessment as a one-off exercise.
Key responsibilities include:
- Keeping fire risk assessments accurate and up to date.
- Recording assessment findings and appropriate fire safety arrangements.
- Addressing identified fire safety defects.
- Inspecting and maintaining fire doors and passive fire protection systems.
- Maintaining appropriate fire detection, alarm and emergency lighting systems.
- Providing residents with relevant fire safety information.
- Keeping suitable records of inspections, maintenance and remedial works.
How Legionella & Fire Safe Services Can Help
Legionella & Fire Safe Services supports housing associations, local authorities, care providers and commercial organisations with fire safety compliance services across the UK, delivered in accordance with the requirements applicable to each location.
Our services include:
Professional fire risk assessments to identify hazards, evaluate risks and recommend appropriate fire safety measures.
Detailed inspections to identify fire door defects and determine where corrective action may be required.
Fire Door Installation and Maintenance
Installation, repairs and maintenance to support the continued performance of fire doors.
Fire stopping, compartmentation and associated protection works to help limit the spread of fire and smoke.
Our team works with property managers and responsible persons to identify priorities, address fire safety concerns and maintain appropriate compliance documentation.
Protect Your Buildings. Protect the People Inside Them.
Fire safety compliance is not simply about meeting legal requirements. It is about ensuring that the people who live and work in your buildings are protected.
If your fire risk assessment needs reviewing, your fire doors require inspection or you have concerns about passive fire protection, our team can help.
Contact Legionella & Fire Safe Services today.
Call 0800 080 3045
Website: https://legionellaandfiresafe.co.uk/
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?
Fire risk assessments must be reviewed regularly and whenever significant changes or concerns mean the existing assessment may no longer be valid. There is no universal statutory annual review interval.
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