Do You Need a Fire Risk Assessments to Sell Your Flat?

Fire risk assessments are a crucial element of fire safety for buildings of all size and type including commercial properties and blocks of flats. Unfortunately, if they are overlooked then it can lead to unnecessary fire risks going unnoticed and put the premises, its contents and those inside in danger.

There can be some confusion around fire risk assessments for flats, especially when it comes time to sell.

Here we cover some of the key points of fire risk assessments for owners and landlords of flats to help ensure that you meet fire safety regulations and that your sale is not going to be affected as a result of failure to comply.

What is a fire risk assessment?

A fire risk assessment is a review or assessment of a building which focuses on identifying any potential fire risks and making recommendations on ways they can be reduced or removed to make the property safer.

Is a fire risk assessment a legal requirement for flats?

By law all business premises and flats are required to conduct a fire risk assessment. Every block of flats is required by law to have a designated ‘responsible person’ who is responsible for the fire safety of the building. This is most commonly the managing agent, landlord or the resident’s association member.

The responsible person must ensure all relevant fire safety tasks and subsequent actions are conducted in order to help reduce the risk of fire occurring and prevent the injury or harm of occupants. A key element of this is the fire risk assessment which must be valid and reviewed regularly as required.

How often do fire risk assessments need to be reviewed?

In order to comply with fire safety legislation, once a fire risk assessment is carried out it must be reviewed on a regular basis, including;

• The law states that the fire risk assessment be regularly reviewed
• If the purpose of the building changes substantially
• If the structure or layout of the property has changed
• If there have been considerable changes in the number or type of occupants

Fire risk assessments for flats only have to cover the common areas such as the corridors, stairs, main entrance doors and hallways. Each resident is responsible for the fire safety within their own private areas and individual dwellings.

What if you are selling your flat?

If you are selling your flat then you will need to obtain a copy of the buildings latest fire risk assessment, which you have the right to access if you need it. Contact the responsible person for the premises or whoever it is you are used to dealing with whether that’s the landlord or managing agent and they should be able to help you.

If you discover that there is not a valid risk assessment in place then you should tell them to conduct one straight away as this is an important matter that should be taken seriously. A professional fire risk assessment expert will be able to ensure that the building is compliant and that the risk assessment is reviewed regularly to help keep it that way.