# How often must fire doors be checked in a block of flats? The 11-metre rule, the access record and a check sheet

> In blocks above 11 metres in England, communal fire doors are checked every 3 months and flat entrance doors every 12. What to look at, record and send.

- Page to cite: https://aeolookup.com/block-management/how-often-fire-door-checks-block-of-flats-regulation-10/
- Publisher: AEO Lookup (https://aeolookup.com/)
- Section: Block and property managers, Building safety
- Published 1 October 2026
- Key fact: In a block of flats above 11 metres in England, regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 requires communal fire doors to be checked at least every 3 months and flat entrance doors at least every 12 months on a best endeavours basis, with a record of every attempt to gain access. A 40-flat block with 12 communal fire doors needs 88 door checks a year.
- Sources: Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, SI 2022/547, regulations 1, 3 and 10 (legislation.gov.uk); Fact sheet: Fire doors (regulation 10) (gov.uk, last updated 24 July 2023); both read 2026-10-01.

In England, a block of flats above 11 metres must have its communal fire doors checked at least every 3 months and its flat entrance doors at least every 12 months. That is regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, in force since 23 January 2023. At 11 metres or below there is no fixed interval, but the duty to keep the doors working remains.

**Free tool on the page:** Fire door check access letter maker. It runs in the browser at https://aeolookup.com/block-management/how-often-fire-door-checks-block-of-flats-regulation-10/#tool and asks for no sign-up.

## What regulation 10 requires

| Duty | Which blocks | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Give residents information about fire doors | Two or more dwellings with common parts residents would evacuate through, at any height | To a new resident as soon as reasonably practicable after moving in; to all residents within each 12 months counted from 23 January 2023 |
| Check fire doors in communal areas | Two or more dwellings, above 11 metres | At least every 3 months |
| Check flat entrance doors | Two or more dwellings, above 11 metres | At least every 12 months, using best endeavours |
| Record the steps taken on flat entrance doors | Two or more dwellings, above 11 metres | Each 12-month period, including flats where access was not granted |

Height is measured to the top storey under Appendix D of Approved Document B. Both kinds of check must include making sure the self-closing device works. The government fact sheet says the checks do not cover the landing doors of lifts.

The information periods run from 23 January to 22 January. The current one ends on 22 January 2027, so any resident who has not had the fire door information since 23 January 2026 is due it by then.

## How many checks that is

Take a 40-flat block of six storeys, above 11 metres, with 12 fire doors in the stairs, lobbies and corridors.

| Doors | Sum | Checks a year |
|---|---|---|
| Communal | 12 doors × 4 quarters | 48 |
| Flat entrance | 40 doors × 1 | 40 |
| Total | | 88 |

Spread the flat doors across the quarterly visits and each visit is 12 communal doors plus 10 flat doors: 22 checks, four times a year.

## What a check looks at

The fact sheet says the minimum is an inspection for obvious damage or issues. It is not a technical examination of the door's fire resistance, which belongs to the fire risk assessment. It adds that it "should not be necessary to engage a specialist". The person checking should consider five things:

1. Whether the glazing apertures or air transfer grille have been altered or damaged.
2. Whether there are gaps around the door frame, and whether the seals and hinges are fitted correctly.
3. Whether the door closer shuts the door.
4. Whether the door closes correctly around the whole frame.
5. Whether there is visible damage to the door or the closer, deliberate or from wear and tear.

If a check finds a problem, a more detailed look may be needed, and that may mean a specialist. A door does not have to be replaced only because it falls short of the current building regulations standard, if it remains in full working order. The simple check stops being enough where an original fire-resisting flat door appears to have been swapped for one that is not fire resisting, or the door is visibly damaged in a way that would affect how it performs.

## A check sheet to copy

| Door or flat | Date | Glazing and grille | Gaps, seals, hinges | Closer shuts door | Closes into frame | No visible damage | Action and date due | Checked by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stair door, floor 3 | | | | | | | | |
| Flat 15: no access | | | | | | | Letters sent [dates]; visit rebooked [date] | |

One row per door per visit. Keep the no-access rows. They are the record regulation 10(5) asks for.

## Best endeavours and the access letter

The flat door duty is to use best endeavours. The fact sheet leaves the method to the responsible person and suggests agreeing a date with the resident. Where access fails, it says to gather evidence of the steps taken, such as correspondence.

A workable routine:

1. List every communal fire door and every flat entrance door in each block above 11 metres.
2. Diary the communal round every 3 months and attach a quarter of the flat doors to each round.
3. Write to those flats two weeks ahead using the letter below.
4. Record each door on the sheet and raise repairs the same day.
5. For a flat with no access, write again with a new date and log each attempt.
6. Before 22 January each year, confirm every flat has had the fire door information.

> Dear resident,
>
> Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 requires us to check the entrance door to your flat every 12 months, including that its self-closing device works. We will be at [building] on [date] between [times]. If that does not suit you, please call [number] to agree another time.
>
> Fire doors protect the escape routes for everyone in the building. Please keep fire doors shut when not in use, do not tamper with the self-closing devices, and report any fault or damage to a door to us immediately on [number or email].
>
> [Name], for [agent], on behalf of [responsible person]

The second paragraph carries the three messages regulation 10(2) requires, so a letter sent to every flat once a year also meets the information duty. The yearly evacuation plan request can go with it; see our guide to [Residential PEEPs](https://aeolookup.com/block-management/residential-peeps-regulations-2025-block-managers-letter-template/).

## Blocks of 11 metres or less

Regulation 10 sets no check interval for these. The fact sheet says the responsible person must still put in place general fire precautions under the Fire Safety Order, which includes making sure that all fire doors, flat entrance doors among them, can provide adequate protection. The information duty applies at any height.

## Where the records go

The regulation puts the check on the responsible person whoever owns the door under the lease; who pays for a repair is a question for the lease. In a higher-risk building the door records also sit behind the safety case report, as our [Building Safety Act guide](https://aeolookup.com/block-management/building-safety-act-higher-risk-building-managing-agent-duties/) explains, and an incoming agent should ask for them at [handover](https://aeolookup.com/block-management/managing-agent-handover-checklist-taking-over-a-block/).

Overlyft ![](https://aeolookup.com/img/d/ours-badge.png) can set up an AI Compliance Keeper that holds fire door checks in each building's compliance diary and lists every Monday what is due in the next 60 days and what is overdue.

This is general information for England, not legal advice.

## Short answers from this page

**How often do fire doors have to be checked in a block of flats?** In England, in blocks above 11 metres, communal fire doors must be checked at least every 3 months and flat entrance doors at least every 12 months on a best endeavours basis, under regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. A 40-flat block with 12 communal doors needs 88 checks a year. Keep a record of every attempt to gain access.

**What does a fire door check in a block of flats have to cover?** The government fact sheet on regulation 10 says the minimum is an inspection for obvious damage or issues, and that a specialist should not be needed. Look at five things: altered or damaged glazing or grilles; gaps, seals and hinges; whether the closer shuts the door; whether it closes into the whole frame; and visible damage to the door or closer.

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General information for UK small firms, not legal, tax or financial advice.