Compliance programmes
Annual Flat Entrance Door Checks
Annual Flat Entrance Door Checks: Annual flat entrance door checks are the yearly checks of each flat's front door, and its self-closer, that regulation 10 requires on a best-endeavours basis in English residential buildings with storeys over 11 metres.
The hard part of flat door checks is rarely the door. It is getting in. We handle the resident letters, booking windows and repeat attempts, and we keep the evidence of every attempt, because under regulation 10 the record of your best endeavours matters as much as the check itself.
What's included?
- Resident notification letters and booking slots
- Repeat visits for missed appointments
- A written record of every attempt where access is refused or not possible
- Door, frame, gaps, seals, closer, letter plate and spy hole checked
- Flags for doors replaced by residents without fire rating evidence
- A per-flat result that can be shared with the leaseholder
When do you need a flat entrance door check?
- Regulation 10 applies to your building and the annual cycle is due
- Leaseholders have replaced front doors and you need to know which are compliant
- Your fire risk assessment raised concerns about flat entrance doors
- You need to evidence best endeavours where residents have not given access
What do we check or do on each door?
| Closer | A self-closing device is fitted and closes the door fully against the frame. |
|---|---|
| Letter plate | Letter plates and spy holes are fire-rated and intact. |
| Alterations | No unauthorised replacement, cat flaps, extra locks or cut-down leaves. |
| Seals | Intumescent and smoke seals present and continuous around the leaf. |
How does it work?
Notify
We write to residents with the date, the reason for the check and how to rebook.
Check
Each door is checked from inside and outside the flat, including the self-closer.
Evidence
No-access flats are re-attempted and every attempt is logged with dates.
Report
Results are reported per flat, with photographs and a price for any repairs.
How much do flat entrance door checks cost?
From £295 per building, including resident letters and one revisit. Guide range £15–£28 per flat, ex VAT. We confirm a fixed price once we know the building, door count and access. See all guide prices.
Which standards and law apply?
- Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 10
- Fire Safety Act 2021
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Regulation 10 applies in England only. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own fire safety law; see regulation 10 explained.
Annual Flat Entrance Door Checks: questions
Who is responsible for a flat entrance fire door?
It depends on the lease, but since the Fire Safety Act 2021 the Fire Safety Order clearly covers flat entrance doors in multi-occupied residential buildings, so the responsible person must account for them in the fire risk assessment even where the leaseholder owns the door.
What does best endeavours mean?
The government fact sheet describes it as the responsible person deciding how to engage residents to gain access and keeping evidence, such as correspondence, where access is refused or not possible.
What if a leaseholder has fitted a non-fire-rated door?
The report flags it with photographs and the evidence available. The responsible person and fire risk assessor then decide on the action, which may include asking the leaseholder to replace it.
Can you check the doors from the corridor only?
Part of the check can be done from outside, but the self-closer and the inside face need access to the flat. Where we cannot get in we record what was checked and why the rest was not possible.
Related services
- Quarterly Communal Fire Door Checks
- Fire Door Replacement
- Fire Door Closer Repairs
- Fire Door Inspections