Doli Guides · Looking after your building
How often should fire doors be checked?
A practical guide for blocks of flats.
How often should fire doors be inspected? It sounds like a calendar question. In a block of flats, the answer also depends on the building’s height, which door you mean and what the check is meant to establish. Here’s how to make sense of it.
By Doli Contracts · 7 min read · Guidance for England
The short answer
For qualifying blocks of flats in England with a top storey more than 11 metres above ground level: communal fire doors need checks at least every three months. The responsible person must use best endeavours to check flat entrance fire doors at least every 12 months, including the self-closing devices.
These are the minimum routine intervals in Regulation 10. Lower buildings still need suitable fire-door maintenance arrangements. A fault reported between visits needs attention then, rather than waiting for the next date in the diary.
In this guide
How often should fire doors be inspected in a block of flats?
Start with the building and its door list. A corridor door used all day and a flat’s front door serve different positions in the same fire-safety plan. Putting every door on one annual appointment can miss an important distinction.
Above 11 metres: two schedules to manage
Keep communal and flat entrance doors clearly separated in your records. The quarterly round and the annual access programme need their own due dates, even if the same team coordinates both. One completed visit should not turn the whole building’s spreadsheet green.
The threshold relates to the height of the top storey, measured under the regulations. Do not estimate it from a roofline or assume a particular number of floors proves the answer. Check the building records if its classification is unclear. See the government’s fire-door guidance.
At or below 11 metres: maintenance still matters
The specific quarterly and annual duties above do not automatically apply, but the wider duty to maintain fire precautions remains. The government’s Regulation 10 fact sheet makes that distinction. Set arrangements around the building’s fire risk assessment, door use and condition, with competent advice where needed.
Why “every six months” is not the whole answer
You may have seen six-monthly checks recommended. London Fire Brigade discusses that industry recommendation alongside a risk-assessed approach. It does not replace the specific three-month communal-door duty where that duty applies. Higher use or recurring faults may justify more frequent attention.
Five ways to keep fire door checks on track
The difficult part is often the follow-through: the missed appointment, the unnamed door or the repair nobody has picked up. A simple system is easier to keep running than a complicated one that only makes sense to its author.
- Give each door a clear reference. “Second-floor corridor, stairwell end” is more useful than “door upstairs”. Use the same reference in check sheets, photographs and work orders.
- Plan from the last completed check. Set the next due date and leave room for repeat visits. Avoid treating four appointments anywhere in a calendar year as a substitute for managing the actual intervals.
- Make appointments easy to arrange. Tell residents what the visit involves, who will attend and how to choose a time. Start the flat-access programme early enough to follow up unanswered requests.
- Give every finding an owner. Record who will review a defect, what the next action is and when it is due. “Reported” and “resolved” deserve separate boxes.
- Close the loop after work. Ask for completion details against the same door reference, and confirm that outstanding actions have been addressed. Keep unresolved points visible.
For example, a note saying “closer problem” leaves the next person guessing. A door reference, a clear description of what happened and a dated photograph give them something useful to act on. Keep resident contact details out of photographs and shared reports unless needed.
Is a routine check the same as a fire door survey?
No, and it helps to name the job correctly. Government guidance describes Regulation 10 checks as simple visual checks that appropriately instructed staff can carry out. A specialist is not automatically needed for every routine round. The fire risk assessment should already have considered whether the doors are suitable.
Routine checks look for changes and faults
Typical points include visible damage, obvious problems with hinges or existing seals, alterations and whether a self-closing door closes fully. Follow the official checking guidance and sample checklist. A door closing successfully does not, on its own, establish its fire resistance.
A detailed survey addresses questions that need more investigation
If a report raises concerns about a door’s condition, configuration or suitability, be clear about what needs investigating. Doli’s fire door surveys can help turn those concerns into door-by-door findings and recommended next steps. Ask what the agreed scope will cover and what limitations will be recorded.
A fault needs a response between scheduled checks
Do not leave a known problem until the next routine round. London Fire Brigade advises prompt repair or replacement of damaged doors. Report the fault to the responsible person, who should arrange competent assessment and appropriate action. If a door sticks or stops short, our guide to a fire door that will not close properly explains the symptoms worth reporting.
A finding also does not automatically mean a whole new doorset. Our guide to fire door repair or replacement sets out the questions to ask before agreeing the scope of work.
Keep records the next person can actually use
A practical record should show the door reference, date, person checking, outcome, photographs where helpful, actions and next due date. Link later work to the original finding. Someone covering your leave should be able to see what remains open without searching three inboxes.
For the annual flat-door duty, Regulation 10 specifically requires records of the steps taken, including attempts to gain access where access was not granted. A missed appointment should lead to a documented follow-up plan, not a “checked” entry.
Make it easy for residents to report a problem
Put a clear reporting contact in appointment notices and resident information. Ask for the door’s location and a short description: rubbing on the floor, failing to latch or a closer coming loose. Residents should not need technical vocabulary to raise a useful concern.
In qualifying buildings with common escape routes, residents must receive fire-door information when they move in and at least annually. That information covers keeping doors shut when not in use, leaving self-closers alone and reporting faults promptly. This information duty is not limited to taller blocks; see Regulation 10.
Frequently asked questions
Who should organise the checks?
The responsible person must ensure the required checks happen. In practice, ownership and management arrangements determine who holds the relevant duties. Agree who coordinates appointments, reviews findings and arranges follow-up; do not assume a contractor’s visit settles all three.
Does a fire risk assessment replace the door checks?
No. The assessment and the routine checking programme serve different purposes. Keep the door-check dates visible in their own right, and use findings to inform the building’s wider fire-safety management.
What if a resident cannot make the appointment?
Offer another arrangement and record the contact attempts and outcome. A single unavailable date is not a completed check. Where access remains difficult, the responsible person should follow an appropriate access process and obtain advice on unresolved cases.
Should a door be checked again after work?
Ask the competent contractor to explain the checks needed after the particular work and provide a completion record. Agree who will confirm any remaining actions. Keep that evidence alongside the earlier finding so the history stays together.
Let’s get it sorted
Need help organising the next step?
Doli Contracts supports landlords and managing agents across London and the South East with fire door surveys and maintenance. Looking after a block in Bromley? Explore our local fire door services.
Send us the building’s location, your existing door records and the points you need help with. We can discuss the scope of a survey or fire door maintenance and help you plan the next step. No need to arrive with every answer.
This guide covers blocks of flats in England and reflects guidance checked in October 2026. The right arrangements depend on the building, its fire risk assessment and the responsible person’s duties.