Fire Door Inspection: What to Check and Record

What the law requires

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force on 23 January 2023. Regulation 10 covers fire doors in any building that has two or more flats and common parts that residents would use to escape in a fire. It gives the responsible person, usually the freeholder or the managing agent, two duties.

• Tell residents about fire doors. This applies to every building of that kind, whatever its height. Residents must be told that fire doors should be kept shut when not in use, that nobody should tamper with the self-closers, and that faults or damage should be reported to the responsible person straight away. New residents must be told as soon as reasonably practicable after they move in, and all residents must be told again at least every 12 months.
• Check the doors. This applies only where the top storey is more than 11 metres above ground level, which is typically a building of more than four storeys. Fire doors in the communal areas must be checked at least every 3 months. Flat entrance doors must be checked at least every 12 months, on a best endeavours basis, because you need the resident to let you in.

The checks must include making sure the self-closing devices work. Height is measured from the ground on the lowest side of the building to the top of the floor of the top storey, leaving out any storey that is only plant rooms (Approved Document B, Diagram D6).

Breaking these Regulations is a criminal offence if the breach puts one or more people at risk of death or serious injury in a fire. The local fire and rescue authority enforces them. They apply in England only, so check the rules that apply in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

A check is not a fire risk assessment

The Home Office guidance on regulation 10, revised in August 2025, says these are simple visual checks that each door is still in the condition the building's fire risk assessment accepted. Whether a door is the right type and rating for where it is fitted is a question for the fire risk assessment, not for these checks.

The guidance was revised because leaseholders were being told to replace flat entrance doors that did not meet today's standard for a new door. It says that in most cases a door which met the standard when the block was built, or when the door was made, still gives adequate protection, as long as it is undamaged and the gaps around it are not too large. A door with no intumescent strips, no smoke seals or no certification label is not unfit for that reason alone.

So do not fail a door, or recommend replacing it, only because it has no label or would not meet today's standard for new work. Record what you found and refer the question to whoever carries out the fire risk assessment.

Who can carry out the checks

The Regulations do not require any qualification. The Home Office guidance says the checks should be simple and basic, that a specialist should not be needed, and that caretakers, managing agents, housing officers and maintenance staff can do them with the right instruction. The checks are visual and do not need tools.

Repairs are different. Where a check finds that a fire door needs repairing or replacing, the guidance says a competent contractor must do the work as soon as reasonably practicable. A fire risk assessment, or a detailed survey of the doors themselves, also needs someone with real fire door knowledge.

If you want to offer fire door inspection as a service, a recognised certification such as the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) shows clients what you know. The law does not require it for the regulation 10 checks.

What to check on each door

These are the points the Home Office guidance lists. Check flat entrance doors from both sides, which means arranging a time with the resident.

1. The door itself

• Has a resident replaced the fire door with an ordinary door? This may be obvious if it looks different from the others. If in doubt, the resident must show the responsible person that the new door is fire resisting and was fitted by a competent person.
• Look for damage or alterations that could let fire or smoke through: a split in a timber door, a hole where a lock has been removed, warping that stops the door fitting its frame, or damage to the frame or the wall around it.
• Check that any glass in the door, and in any side or top panels, is intact and that the glazing around it is undamaged.

2. Reading a door's rating

Modern fire doors usually carry a label or plug showing their rating. Older doors often do not, and that alone does not make them unfit. Doors tested to the British standard BS 476-22 are rated FD30, FD60 and so on, where the number is the minutes the door holds back fire, and an S means it also limits smoke. Doors tested to the European standards are classed E30, E60 and so on, with Sa for smoke. BS 8214 is the code of practice for fire doors with timber-based leaves.

3. Hinges and hardware

• Look for missing or loose hinge screws and any other obvious fault with the hinges, locks, latches or air grilles.
• If there is a letterbox, check that it closes firmly and is not jammed open. If one has been added to a door that did not have one before, the resident must confirm it is suitable for a fire door and was fitted by a specialist.

4. Intumescent strips and smoke seals

• Where they are fitted, check they are undamaged, touch the door or frame, and have not been painted over. They can be on the edge of the door or in the frame, and are usually combined in one strip.
• If a door never had them, that may be acceptable. It is for the fire risk assessment to decide, and is not a fail on the check.

5. Gaps

• The gap between the door and the frame at the top and sides should never be more than 4mm. This is the industry standard the Home Office guidance gives.
• The gap at the bottom should be as small as practicable, while still letting the door close without catching the floor if it drops slightly on its hinges.
• A gap gauge or gap tester card makes this quick, and gives you a measurement to record rather than a guess.

6. The self-closing device

• This is the most important check, and regulation 10 names it. Open the door fully and let go. Then open it to about 15 degrees and let go. Both times it should close fully into the frame on its own, getting past the latch and any rub on the floor.
• The Regulations do not say what type of closer to use. Whatever is fitted has to pass that test. Approved Document B does not count rising butt hinges as a self-closing device for new work, except in a cavity barrier, so test any door hung on them with care.
• Some doors are held open by magnets that let go when smoke is detected. Close these with the test button where there is one, rather than pulling the door off the magnet.
• On a pair of doors that must close in a set order, check the device that controls the order works.

7. Signs

Signs are not part of the regulation 10 checks, but note any that are missing or cannot be read. For new buildings, Approved Document B expects communal fire doors to be signed on both sides ("Fire door keep shut", "Fire door keep locked shut" or "Automatic fire door keep clear"), and cupboard and riser doors on the outside. It does not require a sign on flat entrance doors.

Plant rooms, cupboards and risers

Check the fire doors to plant rooms, service cupboards and risers at least every 3 months too. Each should either close on its own or be kept locked shut. Check for damage, damaged air grilles, damaged strips and seals, and large gaps. Follow the building's health and safety arrangements before you go into any of these spaces.

Faults you will often find

1. Strips and seals painted over or damaged, often after the door has been decorated.
2. Gaps over 4mm, from the door or frame moving, or a door planed down to stop it sticking.
3. Self-closers that no longer pull the door shut, because they are worn, or because a resident has disconnected or slackened them.
4. Alterations such as cat flaps, new letterboxes, spy holes, extra locks, and holes left by old hardware.
5. Missing or loose hinge screws.
6. Communal doors wedged or propped open.

What to record

• The building address and the responsible person.
• The date, and whether it was the 3 monthly communal check, the 12 monthly flat entrance check, or both.
• Each door: a reference number, where it is, and what kind of door it is.
• The result of each check above, and an overall result for each door.
• Faults, described clearly, with photos where you can.
• What needs doing, who is responsible for it, and when it was put right.
• For flat entrance doors, the steps taken to get access, and every flat where you were not let in.
• Whether residents have been given the fire door information in the last 12 months.
• Who carried out the check, and for which organisation.

The Home Office guidance includes a sample checklist, and says electronic records are fine. The CertBox Fire Door Inspection Report follows the same checks, door by door, with the flat access record, remedial actions and the next dates due.

Reporting faults

Neither the Regulations nor the guidance set a deadline for each kind of fault. The guidance says repairs must be done by a competent contractor as soon as reasonably practicable, and the Fire Safety Order requires the responsible person to keep fire doors in good repair (article 17). Agree with the responsible person, before you start, how you will grade faults and how quickly you will report them.

Where to read more

• Home Office: Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, fire door guidance and sample checklist (GOV.UK)
• Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Approved Document B: fire safety (GOV.UK)
• FDIS: Fire Door Inspection Scheme

Published 2026-07-27. Corrected and updated 2026-09-21. This article is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Always refer to the relevant standards and consult qualified professionals for definitive requirements.