Who is responsible for fire doors in blocks of flats?
The Responsible Person under the Fire Safety Order, usually the freeholder, a residents' management company or right-to-manage company, often acting through a managing agent. Their duty covers communal fire doors and, since the Fire Safety Act 2021, flat entrance doors that open onto common parts.
Last reviewed October 2026. General information, not legal advice.
The Responsible Person
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 puts the legal duty on the Responsible Person: whoever controls the building. In a block of flats that’s usually the freeholder, a residents’ management company (RMC) or a right-to-manage (RTM) company. Many of these are run by volunteer leaseholder directors.
The Responsible Person must carry out a fire risk assessment and keep fire safety measures, including fire doors, maintained and in good repair.
Where managing agents fit
Managing agents usually carry out these duties on the Responsible Person’s behalf. In practice that means arranging inspections, organising repairs, keeping records and telling residents what they need to know.
Flat entrance doors
The Fire Safety Act 2021 confirmed that the Fire Safety Order covers flat entrance doors that open onto common parts. So even where a leaseholder owns their front door under the lease, the Responsible Person still has duties relating to it.
Who pays for repairing or replacing a flat door depends on the lease. Check it before quoting for work or writing to residents.
Higher-risk buildings
Buildings that are 18 metres or more, or have seven or more storeys, also fall under the Building Safety Act 2022. They need an Accountable Person, a safety case and a “golden thread” of digital building information. Fire door records feed into that golden thread.
Who’s who
| Role | What they care about |
|---|---|
| Responsible Person | Avoiding prosecution, proof of compliance |
| Accountable Person (18m+ or 7+ storeys) | Safety case and digital records |
| Managing agent | Simple process, defensible records, justifiable costs |
| Leaseholder or resident | Service charge cost, access, being kept informed |
| Fire risk assessor | Getting flagged actions completed |