Fire Risk Assessment for Flats

A block of flats needs a fire risk assessment of its common parts, and since the Fire Safety Act 2021 took effect in England on 16 May 2022 that includes the structure, the external walls and the flat entrance doors. The duty sits with the freeholder, the right to manage or residents’ management company, or the managing agent acting for them.

A Type 1 assessment of the common parts typically costs £350 to £1,000 before VAT; one council fire safety team charges £515, and £620 plus £63 a flat when flats are entered too.

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Type 1, common parts: £350 to £1,000Council fee £515
Type 3, with flats: £620 + £63 a flatCouncil fee, three storeys or more
Over 11 m: Door checksCommunal quarterly, flat doors yearly
Standard: BS 9792:2025Replaced PAS 79-2 for housing

Fees are a guide, not a quote. Excluding VAT unless stated.Sources read November 2026

Which blocks need one, and who is responsible?

Any building with two or more domestic premises and shared parts. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to the common parts; the flats themselves are private homes.

Purpose-built blocks of any height, including two and three-storey blocks.
Converted houses with shared stairs or hallways.
Mixed-use buildings with flats over shops or offices, where several responsible persons must co-operate.
Sheltered and supported housing, where an assessor must think harder about people who need help to escape.
Since 23 January 2023, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 add duties by height: fire safety instructions and fire door information for residents in all blocks with common parts, door checks over 11 metres, and premises information boxes, wayfinding signs and monthly lift checks in high-rise blocks.

What does a block assessment cost?

Type 1 covers the common parts only and is what most blocks need. Type 3 adds a sample of flats. Types 2 and 4 open up the construction and are priced after a survey. Figures from a council fire safety team’s fee list (April 2026), a published assessor price guide and the fee calculator.

Item	Typical fee
Type 1: common parts, non-destructive Stairs, corridors, plant and bin stores, flat entrance doors from outside	£350 to £1,000
Type 1, council fee HMOs and flats of three storeys or more, April 2026	£515
Type 3: common parts and flats Council fee, plus each flat entered	£620 + £63 a flat
Types 2 and 4: destructive Opening up walls, ceilings and risers; contractor costs extra	Priced on survey
Fire door inspection Per door, with a report	£10 to £65 a door

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What should a block assessment cover?

A named method: The standard the assessor works to, usually PAS 79-1:2020 for non-housing premises or BS 9792:2025 for housing, and the type of assessment.
The type, stated: Type 1, 2, 3 or 4, and why. Most blocks start with Type 1; Type 3 or 4 is for buildings where compartmentation inside flats is in doubt.
Evacuation strategy: Whether the block is stay put or simultaneous evacuation, and whether the building can support it. If it cannot, what interim measures are needed.
Flat entrance doors: A view on every door the assessor can see: self-closers, gaps, intumescent strips and seals, glazing and any non-compliant replacements.
External wall: A view on whether the external wall needs a specialist appraisal (PAS 9980). The assessor should say so plainly rather than guess.
A prioritised action plan: Each action with a priority and a target date, and a clear owner. This is the part you will use most.

Freeholders, RMC directors and managing agents: tell us the block, the storeys and the number of flats.

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How does it run?

Agree the scope
before booking
Floor area, storeys, who uses the building and when, which areas are in scope, and whether doors, flats or the external wall need looking at. A clear scope is what makes quotes comparable.
Send what you have
a week before
Floor plans, the last assessment, fire alarm and emergency lighting test records, fire door checks, electrical certificates and any fire strategy or building control papers.
The site visit
hours, not days
The assessor walks every common area, plant room, roof access and bin store, checks every flat entrance door from the corridor, and enters sample flats on a Type 3.
The written report
often within two weeks
Every finding recorded (a legal requirement in England since October 2023), each risk rated, and a dated action plan with priorities you can hand to contractors.
Act and keep records
ongoing
Work through the actions, then give residents the findings and fire safety instructions the law now requires, and set the review date.

Which type do we need?

The four types come from the Local Government Association guide for purpose-built blocks and are used throughout the sector.

Type	Covers	Opening up	Typical use
Type 1	Common parts only	No	The usual assessment for most blocks
Type 2	Common parts only	Yes, sample areas	Doubts about compartmentation in risers, voids and ceilings
Type 3	Common parts and some flats	No	Concerns about what happens inside flats, such as removed doors
Type 4	Common parts and some flats	Yes	Serious concerns; often after a fire or a failed Type 3

What do the 2022 regulations add, by height?

From the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, in force in England since 23 January 2023.

Building	Duty
All blocks with two or more flats and common parts	Give residents fire safety instructions and information on fire doors.
Over 11 metres	Check communal fire doors every three months and flat entrance doors every year (best endeavours).
18 metres or seven storeys and over	Share external wall and floor plans with the fire service, a secure information box, wayfinding signs, monthly lift and equipment checks.

Not an EWS1 form

A fire risk assessment is not an EWS1 form, and an EWS1 form is not a fire risk assessment. Buyers’ lenders ask for EWS1; the law asks for the assessment. See our EWS1 briefing.

What responsible persons ask

Does a small block of flats need a fire risk assessment?

Yes. Any building with two or more flats and shared parts, such as a stair or hallway, needs an assessment of those parts. A converted house with two flats and a shared entrance is included.

Who pays for it?

Usually the service charge, under the lease. The freeholder, RMC or RTM company arranges it and recovers the cost from leaseholders in line with the lease.

How often should a block be reassessed?

The law says regularly and whenever something significant changes. Many managing agents review annually and commission a fresh assessment every few years, more often for taller or higher-risk blocks.

What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 3?

Type 1 covers the common parts and is non-destructive. Type 3 adds entry to a sample of flats to check things like internal doors and alarms, and is used where there is reason to doubt what happens inside flats.

Do residents get a copy?

Residents in multi-occupied buildings in England must be given the relevant fire safety matters: the risks found, the measures in place, the evacuation strategy and the responsible person’s name and UK address. Many blocks share the full report.

Does the assessment include the cladding?

It should consider the external wall and say whether a specialist appraisal is needed. A detailed appraisal of the wall to PAS 9980 is a separate job by a fire engineer or similar specialist.

Where our information comes from

Fee bands are our own reading of published UK assessor price guides, checked against the council fee list below.

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