Fire safety in flats in England: a guide for residents
Check if your building has fire safety issues
The person or organisation responsible for fire safety in your building is called the ‘responsible person’.
This is usually the person or organisation that owns the building. This could be:
- a freeholder
- a management company
- a Right to Manage company
- a housing association
- your local council
They may appoint a managing agent to carry out day-to-day work. However, the responsible person remains legally responsible for fire safety.
If you’re not sure who your responsible person is, check your lease, tenancy agreement or any letters or emails from your building management.
If you rent your home, your landlord must give you information about fire safety in the building.
If you live in a high-rise residential building
If you live in a high-rise residential building (7 storeys or at least 18 metres high), there are also ‘accountable persons’ and a ‘principal accountable person’. They’re responsible for managing fire and structural safety risks.
Find out more about accountable persons and principal accountable persons in high-rise residential buildings.
You can check if your building is registered with the Building Safety Regulator. The register can help you find out who the principal accountable person is.
If your building is not registered and you think it should be, contact the Building Safety Regulator.
How to check if there may be fire safety issues
You can ask your building owner, managing agent or landlord:
- if any fire safety risks have been identified
- what is being done to fix them
- for a copy of the fire risk assessment
If you’re concerned about the external material on the outside of a building, known as cladding, you can tell Homes England.
What your building owner or managing agent must do
Your building owner or managing agent must:
- carry out a fire risk assessment
- tell you about the fire safety arrangements in the building
- review the assessment regularly and after significant events such as major building work or a fire
- tell you about any fire safety risks and what is being done to address them
A fire risk assessment must consider:
- escape routes and emergency exits
- fire detection and warning systems
- fire safety equipment
- risks from the building’s external walls, structure and flat entrance doors
- evacuation procedures and plans
- the needs of vulnerable residents
A fire risk assessment looks at the building’s overall safety.
Sometimes it identifies concerns about the external walls and recommends more detailed checks.
This may include a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW). A FRAEW is a specialist assessment of the materials and construction used on the outside of a building, such as cladding and insulation.
Extra requirements for buildings over 18 metres
For buildings over 18 metres, there are additional legal duties. Your building owner or managing agent must also:
- have a clear plan for telling you about building safety
- keep records of external wall construction
- have a system for handling complaints from residents and other building users
- share information with the local fire service
Your responsibilities
You also have a role in keeping your building safe. For example, you should:
- keep shared areas clear of anything that could block escape routes
- follow your building’s fire evacuation plan
Common fire safety problems
Fire safety problems (sometimes called ‘defects’) can increase the risk of fire spreading. These include:
- unsafe external wall systems (including cladding)
- insulation behind external wall systems
- issues with fire doors
If your building has fire safety problems, find out about your rights and what should happen next.
What to do if you’re not told about fire safety in your building
Contact your building owner, managing agent or landlord first to ask for fire safety information.
If you do not get a response or you’re still concerned, contact:
- your local fire and rescue service
- your local council
Get help and advice
You can get free advice from:
- Leasehold Advisory Service - free advice for leaseholders
- Citizens Advice - general advice on housing rights