Fire Risk Assessments for Flats & Apartments

A fire risk assessment identifies potential hazards in communal areas and ensures that fire safety measures are in place to protect residents, visitors, and staff. It’s essential for meeting legal responsibilities and keeping people safe.

Look for a professional team with experience in residential buildings, particularly in assessing communal areas with high footfall. Qualified assessors should have relevant training, understand building-specific risks, and follow a clear fire safety risk plan.

Yes—if there are shared or communal spaces, you must assess all fire risks to comply with law.

The purpose of a fire risk assessment is to identify potential fire hazards within a building, evaluate the level of risk they pose to occupants, and recommend measures to reduce or eliminate those risks. It ensures that appropriate fire safety precautions are in place to protect people, particularly in shared or high-occupancy areas like flats or workplaces. Fire risk assessments also help property owners and managers comply with legal requirements under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

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Typically, the landlord, managing agent, or responsible person for the building is legally required to ensure a fire risk assessment is carried out and kept up to date.

You can follow the Government’s simplified guide for small blocks, which covers both legal requirements and best practices for buildings up to three storeys

A fire risk assessment is required by law for all non-domestic premises and the communal areas of residential buildings such as flats, HMOs, and apartment blocks. It must be carried out if you are the responsible person—typically a landlord, managing agent, or business owner. A new assessment is required when a building is first occupied, after significant changes (such as layout alterations or changes in use), or if there is reason to believe the current assessment is no longer valid. Regular reviews are also recommended to ensure continued compliance and safety.

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Fire risk assessments are required for flats under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which applies to the communal areas of residential buildings in England and Wales.

You must have a fire risk assessment in place if you are the “responsible person.” This could be:

• A freeholder
• A landlord
• A managing agent
• A residents’ management company

The requirement applies at all times, not just when issues arise. It is not something you arrange once and forget.

Read our full guide here.

A fire risk assessment can technically be carried out by a ‘competent person’—someone with sufficient training, knowledge, and experience to identify fire hazards and recommend suitable precautions. However, for most buildings—especially flats, HMOs, or commercial premises—it’s strongly recommended to use a qualified and professional fire risk assessor. This ensures the assessment is thorough, compliant with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and tailored to the specific risks of the property.

For more help, read our guide or contact us!