Are Fire Door Inspections a Legal Requirement? (UK)

This page is for those responsible for buildings who need clarity on whether fire door inspections are legally required.

This is one of the most common questions raised after a Fire Risk Assessment.

Fire door inspections and checks are required under UK fire safety law.

Responsible Persons must ensure fire doors are maintained in effective working order and in many cases, this includes documented periodic checks.

In England, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 also set specific inspection frequencies for relevant residential buildings.

How this applies in practice

In real buildings, Fire Risk Assessments commonly expect that fire doors are:

• checked periodically
• maintained
• repaired when necessary

Failure to show this can lead to recorded actions.

Why confusion arises

Because legislation describes outcomes rather than specific methods.

Inspectors therefore rely on established industry practice, which usually includes routine inspection.

What happens if inspections are not evident

FRAs often record:

• absence of a system
• uncertainty about frequency
• lack of documented evidence

These findings usually require corrective action.

How Responsible Persons normally comply

By being accountable for ensuring doors are maintained and introducing:

• scheduled inspections
• visible tagging
• documented records