Hello
I have a one bedroom flat with current tenants in situ - the lounge door handle failed in the latched position and to get back into the lounge meant damaging the door - so I am now replacing it.
I’m hearing conflicting rumours that it needs to be replaced by a fire door?
It is on the 3rd floor of a 8 floor purpose built block of flats. The entrance door to the flat is maintained by the property management company for the whole building, and that is a fire door, but is that also a requirement for the internal doors?
Thank you
Michelle
I believe every habitable room above 4.5m must be a fire door, and all communal doors or doors which enter into communal area.
some fire doors need a deeper rebated frame to accomodate the thicker door
We have very old doors on the block’s flat doors and there was discussion with the management company about replacing them with fire resistant doors. In the end no legal proof of the need could be produced, it seems to be a ‘recommendation’ if you ask your local fire brigade. The building insurance doesn’t mandate them either. I suspect that if you’re replacing an entire door, a fire resistant door may be mandatory.
There is no legal requirement for a lounge door to be a fire door. Assuming your 1 bed flat is not an HMO, I dont think there would be a selective licensing requirement either.
I know that More Than Insurance state the below, in reference to the RRO.
“Internal doors don’t need to be fire doors if the flats are on the ground floor or less than 4.5 metres above the ground – so long as tenants have a means of escape, like a terrace or window
Flats on floors that are higher than 4.5 metres need fire doors between the rooms and hallway leading to the flat entrance”