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Guidance

Making your small block of flats safe from fire

How to comply with fire safety law for those responsible for fire safety in small blocks of flats.

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Details

This guide gives simple and practical advice to assist persons with responsibilities for fire safety in the common parts of small blocks of flats (limited to 3 storeys), as well as the building’s structure, external walls and the doors between the flats and common parts. The guide takes the form of guidance and recommendations to support the application of fire safety legislation, including advice about completing a fire safety risk assessment.

This guide has been published by the Secretary of State under Article 50 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) to assist responsible persons in meeting their duties under the FSO.

If your block of flats falls outside the scope of this guide, you should base your fire precautions, and your fire risk assessment, on the guidance in Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats.

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Updates to this page

Published 30 March 2023
Last updated 20 January 2025 Show all updates
  1. Guidance updated to add new legal requirements introduced through Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022.

  2. First published.

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