Fire safety
If you're a leaseholder, you can book a free home safety visit from the London Fire Brigade. You can also get a free smoke detector.
There have been many changes in fire safety in recent years, some of which may affect you especially if you are residential or commercial leaseholder, or have a shared ownership property. It's important to keep up to date with the changes so you can make sure your property continues to remain compliant. You can check your fire safety responsibilities under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations.
We're also working hard to adapt to the legislative changes in fire safety, which includes increased inspections to fire doors and fire elements of our buildings.
Fire doors
The safety of our residents is our priority, so it's important you understand your responsibilities as a leaseholder and a landlord if you sublet your property.
Under the terms of your lease, you are responsible for the maintenance of the front entrance door, as the door is part of your demised premises and belongs to you.
You must ensure you have a suitable front door which resists fire and meets minimum safety standards. If you have been asked to replace your door or provide evidence of its fire rating, this is to ensure the door will hold back fire and save lives.
Both the door and frame must meet the requirements of BS 476: Part 22: 1987 or BS EN 1634-1: 2000 or equivalent standard.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO)
This applies to all parts of a block of flats, other than within the individual flats. The FSO imposes duties on persons who may include freeholders, landlords, managing agents and contractors who maintain fire safety measures and those who carry out fire risk assessments.
All fire safety measures must be adequately maintained, and an offence is committed if inadequate fire safety measures place people at risk of death or serious injury in case of fire. The duty is primarily to ensure the fire safety measures within the common parts are such as may reasonably be required in the circumstances of the case to ensure the block is safe.
However, the duty under the FSO also applies to any person who, by virtue of any contract or tenancy (this includes your lease), has an obligation in relation to the maintenance or repair of the premises and to the safety of the premises.
This means that as you have an obligation to maintain your front entrance door, you personally have a duty under the FSO to ensure the adequacy of your door as it is critical to the safety of the common parts of the block in the event of a fire within your flat. The local fire and rescue authority is the enforcing authority for the purposes of the FSO.
We strongly recommend that you employ a qualified person to carry out the works to your FED. You may wish to install a FED that not only meets the current fire resisting standards but is also 'Secure by design', providing you with enhanced security.
Security grilles
Please do not fit a security grille or gate to your front door or the walkway.
The London Fire Brigade advise that grilles and gates cause a risk to your life in the event of a fire. They delay how quickly you can leave and the fire brigade can enter your home.
We're removing gates and grilles fitted to tenanted and leasehold properties because we are responsible for making sure the shared areas in your building are safe. If you have a gate or a grille we will write to you before removing it.
We do not currently charge leaseholders for any costs associated with removing security grilles and gates.
Gas safety
Make sure all gas appliances in your property are safe by having an annual check by a Gas Safe engineer.
If you sublet your property, you are a landlord and it is a legal requirement to provide your tenant with a gas safety certificate.
Leaseholders are responsible for making sure all gas appliances in the leasehold property are safe.