Building Safety Act 2022
& Fire Doors

Published 17 April 2026 • DE Fire Compliance • 7 min read

The Building Safety Act 2022 is the most significant piece of building safety legislation in a generation. Passed in response to the Grenfell Tower fire, it fundamentally changed how higher-risk residential buildings are managed, regulated, and held accountable. For building owners, managers, and responsible persons, it introduced a new tier of obligations — including more rigorous requirements for fire door inspection and maintenance.

What Is the Building Safety Act 2022?

The Building Safety Act 2022 received Royal Assent on 28 April 2022. Its primary purpose is to establish a new regulatory regime for the design, construction, and management of buildings — with a particular focus on higher-risk residential buildings, where the consequences of fire safety failures are greatest.

The Act creates:

• The Building Safety Regulator — a new regulator (housed within the Health and Safety Executive) responsible for overseeing building safety in higher-risk buildings
• A mandatory registration regime — higher-risk buildings must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator
• A duty holder framework — Accountable Persons and Principal Accountable Persons are legally responsible for the safety of higher-risk buildings
• The Golden Thread — a requirement to maintain a digital record of all building safety information throughout a building’s life
• A mandatory occurrence reporting system — serious safety failures must be reported to the Regulator

Which Buildings Are Affected?

The enhanced requirements under the Building Safety Act apply to higher-risk buildings, defined as:

• At least 18 metres in height or at least 7 storeys
• Containing at least 2 residential units

This captures most blocks of flats over 6 storeys. Buildings used solely for hotels, offices, or other non-residential purposes are not covered by the higher-risk building regime, though they are still subject to the Fire Safety Order and Fire Safety Act 2021.

For buildings between 11 and 18 metres, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 apply — introducing mandatory quarterly common-area fire door checks and annual flat entrance door checks. See our guide on fire door inspections for housing associations for details.

What Does the Building Safety Act Require for Fire Doors?

The Building Safety Act does not create a separate, specific fire door inspection checklist — instead, it places fire doors within the broader framework of building safety management. The key implications are:

1. Fire doors are part of the safety case

For higher-risk buildings, the Accountable Person must develop and maintain a safety case — a structured argument, supported by evidence, that the building is being managed safely. Fire doors are a critical part of the passive fire protection system and must be included in the safety case. This means you need documented evidence that your fire doors are inspected, maintained, and compliant.

2. The Golden Thread must include fire door information

The Golden Thread — a digital record of all building safety information — must include information about the fire doors in the building: their specification, installation records, inspection history, and any remedial works carried out. This creates a long-term documentary requirement that goes beyond a simple inspection report.

3. Residents must be informed and engaged

The Act requires Accountable Persons to establish a residents’ engagement strategy. Fire doors must be part of this communication — residents need to understand what fire doors do, why they must be kept shut, and how to report damage.

4. Mandatory occurrence reporting

Significant fire safety failures must be reported to the Building Safety Regulator. A building with systematically defective fire doors, or a failure to carry out required inspections, could trigger a mandatory occurrence report.

Who Is the Accountable Person?

The Accountable Person is the person or organisation that holds the legal estate in the building at the relevant time — typically the freeholder, or the head leaseholder if the freeholder has granted a long lease. For housing associations, this will usually be the Registered Provider itself.

The Accountable Person has a duty to:

• Register the building with the Building Safety Regulator
• Assess and manage building safety risks (including fire)
• Maintain the Golden Thread of information
• Engage with residents and provide safety information
• Apply to the Regulator for a Building Assessment Certificate

Personal liability: The Accountable Person can be personally liable for failure to comply with Building Safety Act duties. Penalties include unlimited fines and, in some cases, imprisonment.

How Does This Affect Fire Door Inspection Frequency?

The Building Safety Act itself does not set a specific inspection frequency for fire doors in higher-risk buildings — but the duty to manage building safety risks effectively means the frequency must be proportionate to the risk.

In practice, combined with the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, buildings over 18 metres should be conducting:

• Quarterly visual checks of all common area fire doors
• Annual detailed inspections of all flat entrance fire doors
• Post-incident inspections following any fire, flood, or significant damage
• Post-works inspections following any building works that affect fire doors or compartmentation

For full inspection frequencies by building type, see our guide: How Often Should Fire Doors Be Inspected?

How to Build a Compliant Programme

For building owners subject to the Building Safety Act, a compliant fire door programme should include:

1. Baseline audit. A full comprehensively documented inspection of every fire door in the building, producing per-door reports with photographic evidence and severity ratings.
2. Remediation programme. Address all critical and major findings within defined timescales. Document the works carried out and sign off completion.
3. Ongoing inspection schedule. Implement quarterly common-area checks and annual flat entrance door checks with documented records.
4. Golden Thread records. Maintain inspection reports, remediation records, and door specifications as part of the building’s digital records.
5. Resident engagement. Communicate fire door responsibilities to residents and maintain records of this engagement.

What About Buildings Under 18 Metres?

Buildings between 11 and 18 metres are not subject to the higher-risk building regime, but the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 still require quarterly common-area door checks and annual flat entrance door checks. The documentation requirements are less onerous than for higher-risk buildings, but inspections must still be carried out and recorded.

Buildings under 11 metres are subject to the general requirements of the Fire Safety Order — fire doors must be included in the fire risk assessment and maintained in an effective condition, but there is no prescribed inspection frequency.