Front entrance doors

Fire doors are important because they keep fire or smoke in the room or ‘compartment’ in which it started. They stop it from spreading to other areas of the building. Fire doors are an integral part of any building’s passive fire protection system. So it's important they're not damaged, and you report any repair or maintenance issues to us immediately. 

Fire doorset (door and frame)

You must not:

• drill holes into the door to attach items such as coat hangers, wreaths, door bells, cameras, or for any other purpose
• drill holes through the frame to install cabling or for any other purpose
• change the components of a fire door for decorative purposes such as the door knocker
• remove or alter any components that form part of the door (e.g. self-closing devices, locks, spy holes, letter box or hinges)
• install additional locks (the doors have been tested for security as well as fire)
• clean the door with a detergent
• remove or disable the door closer
• remove the smoke seals
• fit cat flaps to the door
• paint the doors or internal parts of the door frame
• remove the door and/or make any alterations to its leaf or frame

Doing any of these will render your fire door non-compliant, meaning will not be fit for purpose, and it will be considered malicious damage to the door. You may be liable for recharges to cover the cost of the repair or replacing the door.

What you can do to a fire door

• clean it - with warm soapy water only

If a component breaks or you have any issue with your door, you must report it via the repairs centre on 0800 028 2028.

Front entrance fire door checks

We regularly carry out fire risk assessments (FRAs) in your building, which would normally include checking a sample of front entrance fire doors.

We have a duty to make sure that all fire doors – including flat entrance doors – are capable of providing adequate protection in all the buildings we manage.

For our buildings over 11 metres in height (5 stories or more) the Fire Safety Regulations (England) 2022 make it a legal requirement from 23 January 2023 for us to:

• undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors (including self-closing devices) in the communal parts of the buildings
• undertake annual checks of all flat entrance doors (including self-closing devices) that lead onto a building’s common parts

If we contact you to make an appointment to check your door, please make sure to give us access as soon as possible. These checks are currently being carried out by our contractor Frankham RMS.

New regulations came into force on 23 January 2023 (Regulations made under Article 24 of the Regulatory Reform Order 2005) which means failure to provide access may result in legal action being taken against you.

If you are unsure or concerned about your fire safety door, please contact our fire safety team.