Flats in Buildings Over 11 Metres

Buildings with a top occupied storey at or above 11 metres above ground level fall under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the higher tier of the Building Safety Act 2022 (for buildings 18m+). At this height, the consequences of compartmentation failure become severe — escape times lengthen and the fire service's reach is limited. The 11-metre threshold triggers mandatory quarterly inspections of communal fire doors and annual inspections of flat entrance doors.

For each fire door: the manufacturer's test evidence (BS 476-22 or BS EN 1634-1), product certification (CERTIFIRE / BWF-CERTIFIRE), Declaration of Performance, the installer's third-party certification (FIRAS or BM TRADA), the installation date, and an ongoing inspection log. For buildings above 18 metres, all of this forms part of the digital "golden thread" required by the Building Safety Regulator.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the "Responsible Person" — usually the freeholder or managing agent — is responsible for the communal fire doors and the building's fire safety in general. Under the Building Safety Act 2022, buildings above 18 metres also have an "Accountable Person" who carries statutory responsibility. Flat entrance doors are a shared responsibility: the leaseholder typically owns the door, but the Accountable Person must inspect and maintain it as part of the building safety case.

Flat entrance doors that do not provide adequate fire and smoke resistance must be upgraded or replaced. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 don't specify "must be FD30S" verbatim, but in practice any flat entrance door that doesn't meet at least FD30S performance with a tight, latching closure and smoke seals will fail the building safety case. Many freeholders are now specifying FD60S as a future-proofing measure.