Report raises concerns of social housing fire doors

New fire door research has uncovered an “inconsistent” and, in some areas, “insufficient” approach to fire safety in social housing across England, particularly regarding fire door compliance

Published by Sentry Fire Safety Group, the white paper, A Burning Issue: The Reality of Fire Door Safety in Social Housing, is based on data collected through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests issued to 296 local authorities in England.

Each local authority was asked to report on the number of residential units within its social housing stock, the number of front entrance and communal fire doors that had been fitted, the proportion of doors certified to FD30 or above (guaranteed to hold back fire for 30 minutes), the number of fire door inspections carried out since January 2023, the volume of non-compliant fire doors identified, the number of doors that have been repaired or replaced, and whether the local authority had a forward plan for replacing fire doors over the next three years.

“The findings are deeply concerning,” the report stated. “Whilst some authorities have taken meaningful steps toward compliance, a significant proportion are falling behind. Many councils report low inspection rates, limited tracking of door ratings, and slow progress in repairing or replacing non-compliant fire doors. In some cases, essential data is missing altogether, suggesting a lack of internal oversight.”

Of those queried, 176 local authorities (67%) provided usable information, representing 59% of all authorities in England. The data indicated that only 37% of front entrance doors were certified to at least FD30, while for communal doors, this figure dropped to 33%. On average, only 36% of fire doors across social housing met the minimum FD30 requirements.

Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which came into effect in January 2023, responsible persons are required to ensure that fire doors in high-risk residential buildings are inspected at least once every 12 months. According to the data, only 46% of front door entrances had been inspected at least once since the regulations were introduced. For communal fire doors in shared spaces, this figure was 89%. Several local authorities reported difficulties with gaining access to individual dwellings to inspect front entrance doors, stating that residents were “often unavailable or unwilling to facilitate scheduled inspections”.

Since January 2023, a total of 106,718 non-compliant fire doors (14%) have been identified. Of this figure, only 37% have been repaired or replaced, leaving around 66,000 non-compliant fire doors yet to be addressed. Additionally, approximately 86 councils had a formal plan to repair or replace non-compliant fire doors over the next three years, representing 29% of all English authorities.

Jon Gatfield, Sentry Executive Chair, noted that despite regulations having come into force three years ago, “implementation has not progressed at the pace required to protect residents”.

He added, “Without intervention, non-compliance will persist. We are not here to apportion blame; our goal in publishing this research is simple: to support measurable risk reduction, drive stronger accountability, and strengthen protection for residents. We need a coordinated, cross-sector response to ensure safety obligations are delivered in practice, not just in principle.”

Sentry also provided recommendations regarding policy and practice, including adequate funding for fire safety improvements, accurate fire door inventory to align with the golden thread of building information, comprehensive inspection records, statutory deadlines for repair and replacement, accountability for non-compliance, greater transparency across all social housing providers, and public access to fire safety data.

The report stated: “Without these measures, the consequences of inadequate fire safety fall disproportionately on tenants who rely on social housing, including those in vulnerable circumstances or with limited housing options…Implementing these measures is not simply a regulatory obligation; it is a vital safeguard for some of the most vulnerable members of society.”

Commenting on the findings of the white paper, Bob Blackman MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fire Safety, said:

“Fire safety failures are preventable. We must address the structural weaknesses, from funding to greater transparency, before further risk accumulates, to ensure every resident is protected by standards that are actually enforced. Addressing these issues is critical to safeguarding vulnerable tenants and ensuring homes are genuinely safe from fire. With collective action, we have a chance to turn regulation into reality.”

You can access the full white paper from Sentry Fire Safety Group here.