Last updated: 5th November 2026
A Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) is a legal requirement for the Responsible Person (RP) of most non-domestic premises in England and Wales, including the communal areas of blocks of flats. Yet, many organisations underestimate the importance of an FRA and its impact on fire safety. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the RP must ensure that the assessment is suitable and sufficient, that it is reviewed when necessary, and that appropriate action is taken to address identified fire risks.
For social housing providers, meeting these requirements means more than commissioning an assessment. Landlords must understand which areas are covered, appoint a competent fire risk assessor, act on the findings and keep their fire safety arrangements under review. The appropriate assessment will depend on the building, its construction, the people who use it and the risks identified.
Pennington Choices supports housing providers with fire safety assessments and consultancy to help them understand building risks, identify gaps and make informed decisions about fire safety management.
Looking for detailed guidance on your FRA duties and the key components of an FRA? Download your FREE Guide to Safe and Compliant Fire Risk Assessments here.
An FRA is an assessment of a building to identify fire hazards, determine who may be at risk, and establish the precautions needed to prevent fires and protect residents. Under the Fire Safety Order 2005, the RP must ensure that a suitable and sufficient assessment is completed for the budling within the legislation's requirements.
For housing providers, this generally includes the communal areas of blocks of flats, along with other relevant parts of the building covered by fire safety legislation. The assessment should consider the building's fire hazards, existing safety measures, means of escape and the people who may be affected by a fire.
For further insights into your responsibilities under the Fire Safety Order, explore our blog, ‘Navigating the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in 2024’.
The RP must review the assessment when necessary, including when there are significant changes to the premises or reasons to believe the assessment is no longer valid. Identified risks must be addressed through appropriate fire safety measures.
| Legislation or standard | What housing providers need to know |
| Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 | The principal fire safety duties, including the requirement for a suitable and sufficient FRA. |
| Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 | Amendments to fire safety duties, including requirements relating to recording assessments, sharing information, and cooperation. |
| BS 9792 |
Guidance on carrying out FRAs in housing premises. |
| BS 8674 | A framework for assessing the competence of fire risk assessors. |
BS 9792, which has replaced PAS 79-2, is the new British Standard providing recommendations for FRAs in housing premises and parts of housing premises. This standard was published on 1st August 2025, and amends the PAS 79 best practice guidance with more structure to become a recognised standard, referenced and auditable.
BS 9792 provides a consistent, auditable framework for assessing fire risk across both domestic and non-domestic premises. It tightens links with the Building Safety Act, reinforces the competence requirements for assessors, and embeds person-centred risk as a non-negotiable part of the process, shifting from best practice guidance to legal expectation.
“The methodology in this British Standard is intended to determine the risk-proportionate fire precautions required to protect occupants of housing premises and people in the immediate vicinity of the premises”. – The British Standards Institution (BSI)
The Grenfell Tower Phase 2 Inquiry report, published in September 2024, has recommended reforms to ensure that Fire Risk Assessments are more thorough and are conducted by suitably qualified professionals.
BS 8674 was introduced on 15th August 2025, setting out, for the first time, a clear and structured framework for assessing the competence of fire risk assessors, helping to raise standards and improve safety across the built environment. This new code of practice promotes consistency, quality, and accountability in FRAs, helping to support safer outcomes and informed decision-making.
In October 2023, Section 156 of the Building Safety Act came into force,
introducing new requirements to
Selecting a competent person to carry out FRAs remains crucial in effective fire risk management. As of 15th October 2024, the consultation on BS 8674, which focuses on FRA competency and recent changes to FRA competency registers has closed to public comments. Comment resolution will begin in March 2025, where all public comments will be viewed and discussed by the committee and are fed back into the standards
development process.
Looking for more expert insight into BS 8674 and the upcoming changes to your fire safety responsibilities? Catch up on our recent webinar, Fire Safety: Legislation Updates, Competent Persons, and EEIS+, available on-demand now.
The Responsible Person (RP) is responsible for ensuring each building has an up-to-date FRA at all times. Not sure who the RP in your building is? Head over to our dedicated blog, ‘Fire Safety Act 2021: Are you the ‘Responsible Person’?’ to find out!
FRAs must be conducted by a 'competent person', which may be a third-party organisation or the building's RP. If you need help undertaking an FRA, our experienced and competent (IFSM Tiered Fire Risk Assessors Registered) fire risk assessors are available to guide you through the process. Get in touch to speak to one of our fire safety experts.
To ensure your FRA is exhaustive, you must include the five key fire safety risk assessment steps:
Whilst these steps can be used as a Fire Risk Assessment template, it's important that each assessment is tailored to the individual building for accurate risk identification. To gain a comprehensive understanding of these steps, head over to our blog, ‘Is a Fire Risk Assessment enough to keep people safe from fire?’.
There are four types of FRA for housing and residential sites (not applicable to commercial buildings), which are outlined below:
A type 1 FRA is a visual inspection of the fire safety provisions in a building and is the most basic type required under the Fire Safety Order. A type 1 FRA includes a non-destructive inspection of:
Whilst the simplicity of this assessment is beneficial, it may reveal the necessity for further investigation from different types of FRAs, Compartmentation Surveys, or Fire Risk Appraisals of External Walls (FRAEWs). In this situation, the assessment report will list the reasons for any further investigations.
A type 2 FRA is a destructive assessment which opens up areas of the building to acquire a more in-depth understanding of the building pathology and risks. These are often undertaken when the type 1 FRA identifies potential structural issues in the building that could increase the risk of fire spread. A type 2 FRA does not involve access to dwellings and is confined to common parts of the building.
A type 3 FRA is non-destructive and similar to type 1 but assesses individual dwellings in addition to the common parts of the building, providing a more thorough investigation. As accessing individual flats often poses an issue, it’s recommended to appoint an experienced third-party fire risk assessor. Type 3 includes an assessment of:
Whilst this type covers some aspects of fire compartmentation, to gain an exhaustive assessment, it’s crucial that you undertake a Compartmentation Survey which will assess your compartmentation in more detail. To discover more about the importance of Compartmentation Surveys, head over to our blog, ‘What is a Fire Compartmentation Survey and Why Do You Need One?’.
A type 4 FRA is the most comprehensive assessment, including common areas, flats, and opening up areas of the building to conduct a destructive inspection. This is only necessary where there are serious issues identified in both the common parts and the individual areas of the building. Despite this being the most robust FRA, a Compartmentation Survey may still be necessary to provide assurance that your building’s compartmentation is sufficient.
There is only one variation of non-residential FRA, which includes:
Whilst an FRA is the most effective tool in understanding the risk of fire in buildings, its scope and thoroughness often fails to include a full assessment of the compartmentation throughout a building. That’s where Compartmentation Surveys come in.