Your building’s height decides the law. We’ll make it simple.
Fire safety law covers every block of flats. Extra duties start at 11 metres, and again at 18 metres or seven storeys.
Every block with two or more flats
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes a Responsible Person, usually the freeholder, RMC or RTM company, keep a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment of the common parts. The Fire Safety Act 2021 confirmed this includes the structure, external walls and flat entrance doors. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require fire safety information to be given to residents.
What changes with height
| Building | Main duties | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Under 11 metres | Fire risk assessment; fire safety and fire door information for residents. Some buildings can now apply to the Cladding Safety Scheme. | Fire Safety Order 2005; Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 |
| 11 to 18 metres | All of the above, plus quarterly communal fire door checks and annual flat entrance door checks; external wall assessment; proposed remediation deadline of 2031. | Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022; Remediation Acceleration Plan |
| 18 metres+ or 7+ storeys (HRB) | All of the above, plus registration with the Building Safety Regulator, a safety case, a resident engagement strategy, a residents' safety complaints process, a secure information box, wayfinding signs, plans for the fire service and monthly lift and equipment checks. | Building Safety Act 2022, Part 4; Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 |
| Complex and mixed-use sites | Where several Responsible Persons share a building, each must co-operate and share fire safety information. One site-wide fire strategy avoids gaps. | Fire Safety Order 2005, articles 22 and 23 |
| Private housing estates | Duties come from transfer deeds and health and safety law for shared areas. New estate charge rights are awaiting commencement. | Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, Part 5 |
General information about the law in England, not legal advice. Last reviewed 3 October 2026.
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