What should a letter to residents about fire door access say?

Why the letter matters

In England, regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 asks the responsible person in buildings over 11 metres to use best endeavours to check flat entrance doors at least every 12 months, and to record what was done, including attempts to gain access that were refused. The Fire Safety Act 2021 made the doors between flats and common parts part of what the Fire Safety Order covers.

The phrase best endeavours means you have to be able to show you tried properly. A dated letter is the first piece of that evidence. A second letter and a note of a knock at the door are the next.

What to put in the letter

Put the point of the letter in the first two lines. Most residents will read nothing else.

• The reason. The front door of every flat in the building is being checked to make sure it will hold back fire and smoke long enough for people to get out.
• The date and a time window. Give a morning or afternoon, not just a day. Offer an alternative.
• How long it takes. For a flat door the check usually takes a few minutes, and the visitor only needs to see the door and the frame from both sides.
• Who is coming. Give the company name and say the visitor will carry photo identification.
• What they will do. Look at the door, frame, seals, hinges and closer. They will not go through the flat or look at anything else.
• What you need from the resident. Be in, or leave the door accessible, and clear anything blocking the door.
• How to rearrange. A phone number and an email address that someone answers.
• A line on safety. Fire doors only work if they are shut. Ask residents to keep the door closed and to report any damage or any fault with the closer.

A template you can copy

Replace the words in capitals.

Subject: Fire door check at BUILDING NAME on DATE

Dear resident,

We are checking the front door of every flat at BUILDING NAME to make sure it will protect your escape route if there is a fire. A fire door contractor, COMPANY NAME, will be at the building on DATE between START TIME and END TIME.

The check takes about FIVE minutes. The visitor will carry photo identification and will only look at your front door, the frame, the seals, the hinges and the closer. They will not need to go into the rest of your home.

If you cannot be in, please call PHONE NUMBER or email EMAIL ADDRESS by DATE and we will arrange a different time. If you would rather leave a key with a neighbour or with the building manager, tell us.

Please also remember to keep your front door closed when you are not using it, not to remove or adjust the closer, and to tell us straight away if you notice a gap, damage or a door that does not close by itself.

Thank you for your help.

NAME, ROLE, ORGANISATION

Tips from the doorstep

Send the letter two weeks before, and put a notice in the lobby as well. Send a reminder a few days before. Use the resident's name, not Dear occupier, where you have it.

Do not say that anything will be fixed or replaced in the letter. You do not know yet. Say that you will write to them if work is needed.

Avoid anything that sounds like a threat. Mentioning the legal duty once, in plain terms, is enough. Residents are far more likely to say yes to a friendly letter than a stern one.

Check the lease before you rely on a right of entry. Some leases allow access for inspection with notice, and some do not cover the flat door. If you are not sure, ask a solicitor or the managing agent.

When access is refused

Keep a record of each attempt. Note the date, the time, who knocked, what was said, and a copy of each letter. Regulation 10 asks for that record. Write again, offer another time and ask if there is a reason, such as a medical appointment or a worry about the visitor. Reasons often turn out to be easy to deal with.

If a resident still refuses, keep the evidence on file with the building's fire risk assessment and speak to your legal adviser or managing agent before taking it further. Our page on who is responsible for fire doors in flats explains who holds the duty.

Sources

• Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 10 (fire doors)
• Fire Safety Act 2021, section 1