00WHAT FIRE GUIDANCE SAYS

Let it
close.

A quiet corridor in a block of flats with a row of closed wooden fire doors, each with an overhead self-closing arm and glazed vision panel — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

That heavy door that swings shut behind you is doing a job.

In a block of flats, fire doors on stairs, corridors and front doors hold back fire and toxic smoke so people can get out and firefighters can get in. London Fire Brigade puts it simply: a fire door only works when it is closed.

NEVERwedge it openUpdated 15 October 2026

Check a door

01Principles

Closed doors hold smoke
Never wedge or prop
Report, don't repair
A barrier you walk through daily

02THE SHORT ANSWER

Shut doors
buy time.

Fire doors keep a fire and its smoke in one area,
so the rest of the building stays usable.

IN FLATS

Self-closing on purpose

Stairwell, corridor and flat front doors that open onto common areas need to be fire doors. LFB says one is completely useless if wedged open or unable to close fully.

Check a door

THE RULES

Checked every quarter

In England, in residential buildings with storeys over 11 metres, communal fire doors must be checked every three months, and flat entrance doors yearly on a best-endeavours basis.

See the numbers

AT HOME

Close doors at bedtime

London Fire Brigade advises closing all internal doors before bed to stop smoke spreading if a fire starts. About a third of fires it attends are at night.

Bedtime checks

03A QUICK DOOR CHECK

What do you notice
about the door?

Pick what you can see on a fire door in your building. The bar shows how worried the guidance suggests you should be.

Based on London Fire Brigade's five fire door checks. If you suspect a fault, report it to the building owner: never repair a fire door yourself.

Door check

Choose what you seeA label or plug on the top edgeGaps bigger than 4mm at the sidesDamaged seals around the frameIt sticks and won't latchIt's wedged or propped open

A label or plug on the top edgeGood sign

A certification mark, usually on top of the door or occasionally the side. Without one you cannot be sure it really is a fire door.

Gaps bigger than 4mm at the sidesReport it

Gaps at the top and sides should be consistently under 4mm when closed; up to about 8mm underneath, depending on the door. Ideally no light shows under it.

Damaged seals around the frameReport it

Seals around the door or frame should be intact, with no sign of damage. Hinges should be firm: three or more, with no missing screws.

It sticks and won't latchReport now

A fire door should close firmly onto the latch without catching on the floor or frame. If it cannot close fully, it cannot do its job.

It's wedged or propped openClose it

LFB says a fire door is completely useless if wedged open. Let it close, and report it to the building owner if doors are being kept open.

Source: London Fire Brigade, Fire doors (safety in the home), five checks residents can make.

04TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

Night-time fires,
regular checks.

One figure from London Fire Brigade,
one from England's fire door regulations.

≈ 1 in 3

Share of fires LFB attends at night

London Fire Brigade says about a third of all fires it attends are at night, which is why it asks people to close internal doors before going to bed.

NIGHT FIRES · LFB

3 months

How often communal fire doors are checked

Since 23 January 2023, responsible persons for multi-occupied residential buildings in England with storeys over 11 metres must check fire doors in the common parts quarterly, including self-closing devices.

CHECKS · GOV.UK

The rules follow the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report, which found that fire doors in the tower did not, through damage or disrepair, stop smoke and gases spreading as they should.

05FOUR HABITS TO KEEP

A few seconds,
every day.

None of these needs tools. They are about letting the doors in your home and building do what they were designed to do.

Let communal doors close behind you
Do not wedge or prop corridor and stairwell doors open. Information for residents stresses keeping fire doors closed.
Close internal doors at night
Before bed, close all internal doors and keep door and window keys where everyone can find them.
Never alter a fire door
Don't drill, cut or swap handles, hinges or closers. Repairs should be done by a qualified person.
Report faults and allow checks
Tell the building owner about damage, and let them in to check your flat entrance door when they ask.

A dim hallway of a home at night with the internal doors to the bedrooms and living room all closed and a soft lamp on a side table — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

06WHO LOOKS AFTER THEM

Shared doors,
shared job.

Close-up of the metal self-closing arm at the top of a wooden fire door, with the intumescent seal strip visible along the frame — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Landlords or building owners are legally responsible for fire doors in the common areas. Since January 2023, they must give residents of buildings with two or more flats and common parts information on why fire doors matter.

The Fire Safety Act 2021 confirmed that flat entrance doors are part of a building's fire risk assessment. Leaseholders may be responsible for their own front door under their lease, so LFB suggests checking the lease and talking to the landlord.

07Questions

Questions people ask

Why do fire doors close by themselves?

Because a fire door only works when it is closed. Self-closing devices make sure the door shuts after people pass through, so it can hold back fire and smoke without anyone remembering to close it.

Can I wedge a fire door open?

No. London Fire Brigade says a fire door is completely useless if it is wedged open or cannot close fully.

Does my flat front door need to be a fire door?

If your front door faces onto a common area in the building, London Fire Brigade says it needs to be a fire door that works properly and can be inspected and maintained.

Can I fix a fire door myself?

LFB advises never carrying out repairs or work on a fire door: no drilling, cutting or replacing handles, hinges or hardware. Report faults to the building owner and use a qualified person.

How often are fire doors checked in flats?

In England, in multi-occupied residential buildings with storeys over 11 metres, communal fire doors must be checked every three months and flat entrance doors annually on a best-endeavours basis.

08Sources

Let it
close.