Regulation 10 fire door checks — what's required

What Regulation 10 says

Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 requires the Responsible Person in a multi-occupied residential building over 11 metres in height to carry out routine checks of fire doors. The duty came into force on 23 January 2023.

The two duty frequencies

• Quarterly checks — all fire doors in the common parts of the building (lobbies, stair enclosures, corridors, riser cupboards).
• Annual checks — all flat entrance doors, on a best-endeavours basis (residents must consent to access).

What "check" actually means

It's a visual inspection — not a full FDIS-style assessment. The Responsible Person is looking for obvious defects: gaps too large, missing or damaged intumescent strips, missing smoke seals, broken self-closers, damage to the leaf or frame, and signs of tampering. The check needs to be recorded.

Best-endeavours for flat doors

The Responsible Person cannot force entry to a private dwelling. The duty is to take all reasonable steps — written notice, multiple appointment offers, follow-up letters — and to record the attempts. If a resident refuses access, that refusal should be on file.

What to do when you find a defect

Defects on common-parts doors are the Responsible Person's responsibility to put right — typically by instructing a competent fire door installer to carry out the remedial work. Defects on flat-entrance doors should be flagged to the leaseholder or tenant in writing with a recommendation to repair or replace.

Records and retention

There's no prescribed format, but the records must be sufficient to demonstrate the duty has been discharged. We deliver every check as a photographic log with door reference, defect type, severity and recommended action — sized to drop straight into the building's fire safety folder.