To comply with the law on fire doors in 2026, you must navigate a complex landscape of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, the Building Safety Act 2022 and recent updates to Approved Document B. The rules around how you check and maintain your fire doors have become much stricter. This article breaks down exactly what your legal duties are today, from mandatory maintenance schedules to choosing between 30 and 60-minute protection for your building.
This guide on the new law on fire doors will walk you through what fire ratings mean, why they are so essential for your property and how to choose the right fire rated doors for your project.
A New Era for Fire Safety: What Did Fire Regulation Change?
The law on fire doors has shifted from “recommendations” to “mandatory enforcement.” Following the Grenfell Tower inquiry, the UK government overhauled the legislative framework to ensure accountability throughout a building’s lifecycle.
The primary drivers of the modern law on fire doors are:
- The Fire Safety Act 2021: This expanded the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) to explicitly include flat entrance doors in multi-occupancy buildings.
- The Building Safety Act 2022: This introduced the “Golden Thread” – a requirement for a digital record of all fire safety assets.
- Regulation 38 (The Building Regulations 2010): This requires that “as-built” fire safety information is handed over to the Responsible Person. In 2026, this is the first document an inspector will ask for.
| Regulation | Effective Date | Key Requirement for Fire Doors |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2023 (Active) | Quarterly checks (communal), Annual checks (flat entrance) >11m. | |
| March 2025 (Active) | Mandatory digital handover of “as-built” door specs. | |
| 6 April 2026 | Evacuation statements linked to door accessibility. | |
| 30 Sept 2026 | Second staircase doors in 18m+ buildings. |
Meeting Your Regulation 38 Duties in 2026
Under Regulation 38, anyone carrying out work on a building must provide fire safety information to the ‘Responsible Person’ at the end of a project. At Aluminium Fire Systems, our Compliance Pack is designed to satisfy this legal requirement. We provide the “as-built” evidence, including test certificates for both the glass and the fire rated aluminium windows frames, ensuring your digital “Golden Thread” of information is unbroken.
Learn more: Why are fire ratings important?
Unpacking the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
The most significant change for property managers is the mandatory maintenance of fire doors. Under the 2022 Regulations (which remain the gold standard in 2026), the ‘Responsible Person’ for residential buildings over 11 metres must perform:
- Quarterly checks of all fire doors in communal areas.
- Annual checks (on a best-endeavours basis) of all flat entrance doors.
Note for 2026: Following recent government guidance, the focus is now on functionality. If an older door is undamaged, self-closes and has the correct gaps, it may still be compliant even without a modern label, provided it met the standards at the time of installation.
Where Does the Law Require You to Have Fire Doors?
The law on fire doors dictates placement based on the building’s height and use:
- Commercial & Non-Domestic: Every non-domestic property must have a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) under the RRFSO to define escape routes.
- HMOs: Fire doors are generally required for any room opening onto an escape route (kitchens, lounges).
- Private Houses: Under Approved Document B, you need fire doors for integral garages and in houses with three or more storeys (including loft conversions).
- High-Rise Residential: New residential buildings over 18m now require a second staircase, significantly increasing the volume of fire rated aluminium doors needed to protect secondary escape routes.
Do I Need 30 Minute or 60 Minute Fire Doors?
Choosing the right rating is vital for both safety and cost-efficiency. While 30 minutes is the domestic standard, the law on fire doors often requires a 60-minute upgrade in specific scenarios.
Standards: BS 476 vs BS EN 13501
Our products are rigorously tested against leading British standards and European standards to ensure maximum safety. This includes BS 476 Part 22, the traditional UK standard still legally accepted in certain refurbishment contexts.
However, the industry is heavily moving towards the BS EN 13501 series (European Standards). While BS 476 remains valid for specific legacy applications, the government’s post-Grenfell guidance and modern best practice favour the stricter, harmonised European testing methods. We prioritise these EN standards (such as BS EN 1634-1 for doors and BS EN 1364-1 for partitions) to ensure your building meets the highest modern benchmarks for safety and future-proofing.
We work with independent certification bodies to verify these standards, providing a full compliance pack with every project to demonstrate complete adherence to these rigorous criteria.
Rule of Thumb: When to Upgrade to 60 Minutes (EI 60)
- Taller Buildings: Buildings over 18m often require 60 minute fire rated windows and doors to account for longer evacuation times.
- Underground Areas: Basement levels or underground car parks almost always require EI 60 fire rating or higher.
- High-Risk Compartmentation: If a door sits in a wall separating two different “fire compartments” (e.g., separating a commercial shop from flats above), it usually requires an EI 60 fire rating.
- Plant Rooms: Areas containing high-voltage equipment or boilers.
For the highest-risk industrial or commercial settings, we also manufacture 90 minute fire rated windows and 120 minute fire rated windows solutions.
Why Choose Aluminium Fire Systems?
The modern law on fire doors rewards durability. Traditional timber doors are prone to warping, which causes the 3-4mm gap to fail over time. Our aluminium systems, including the MB 78EI offer:
- Zero Warping: Ensuring long-term compliance with gap measurements.
- Modern Aesthetics: Sleek fire rated aluminium windows and fire rated glass partitions that blend with contemporary architecture.
- Traceability: Every product we supply, from our 30 minute fire rated windows to our MB 118EI partitions, comes with a compliance pack to satisfy the Regulation 38 information handover.
- Certified Traceability: We use market-leading profiles from Aluprof and glass from approved, compliant suppliers only. Our MB 118EI systems are tested to the most rigorous European standards, ensuring that your EI 60 fire rating or E1 120 fire rating is backed by iron-clad evidence.
Further reading:
Your Ultimate Guide to External Fire Rated Doors & UK Compliance
What is Fire Rated Glass?
Law on Fire Doors UK Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need fire doors in my house in the UK in 2026?
Yes, you do need fire doors in your house in the uk if your home has an integral garage or is three or more storeys high. The law on fire doors for private dwellings hasn’t changed, but the scrutiny on installation quality has.
What is the new fire safety legislation 2025/2026?
The main update is the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations, alongside the final transition period for Approved Document B amendments regarding dual staircases in high-rise buildings.
What did fire regulation change?
The most significant change was the introduction of mandatory quarterly inspections for communal fire doors and annual checks for flat entrance doors in residential buildings over 11m.
Is my old fire door still legal if it doesn't have a certification label?
Under the August 2025 guidance update, an existing door might still be compliant if it was manufactured to a previous standard and remains in good working order. The “Responsible Person” must prove it functions correctly (closes fully, has the right gaps, etc.) through a professional risk assessment rather than just relying on a missing label.
View 6.7 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: fire door guidance (accessible)
Can I use 30-minute glass in a 60-minute frame?
No. you can’t use 30-minute glass in a 60-minute frame, in order to comply with the law on fire doors, the entire assembly (glass, seals, and frame) must be tested and certified as a single unit. Mixing components voids the fire certificate and leaves you legally liable.
About The Author
Lauren Walker is the Managing Director of Aluminium Fire Systems, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of fire-rated aluminium doors, windows and glazing solutions. With extensive experience in the industry, Lauren is dedicated to promoting higher standards of fire safety and ensuring clients receive fully compliant and high-quality products.