Are Fire Doors a Legal Requirement for Commercial Buildings?

September 25th, 2026

Last updated: September 10th, 2026

Fire doors are a familiar sight in many types of commercial buildings, but are businesses actually legally required to have them?

In many commercial properties, the answer is yes. UK fire safety law does not simply state that every business must have a particular number of fire doors. The requirements depend on the building and the findings of its fire risk assessment.

Businesses also have a responsibility to ensure they remain suitable and properly maintained.

What Does UK Fire Safety Law Say?

In England and Wales, the main legislation governing fire safety in commercial premises is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

It applies to workplaces and other non-domestic premises and places responsibilities on the Responsible Person. This will often be an employer, owner, landlord or another person who has control over the premises.

One of their key responsibilities is ensuring that a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is carried out. This assessment identifies potential fire hazards, considers the people who could be at risk and determines which fire precautions are required.

Fire doors may form an important part of those precautions.

When Are Fire Doors Required?

Whether fire doors are needed depends on the design and use of the building.

They are commonly used to protect escape routes such as corridors and stairways, helping people leave the building safely if a fire occurs. They can also be used between different areas of a property or to separate higher-risk spaces such as plant rooms.

Hotels and other buildings where people sleep require particularly careful consideration because occupants may take longer to recognise and respond to a fire. Offices, warehouses, shops and industrial buildings will have their own layouts and risks to assess.

The fire risk assessment should help establish where fire-resistant doors are necessary and whether the existing doors provide adequate protection.

What Do Fire Doors Actually Do?

A normal internal door is not necessarily designed to withstand fire.

Fire doors form part of a building’s passive fire protection. When correctly installed and closed, they are designed to resist fire for a specified period, helping restrict the movement of flames and, where applicable, smoke.

This supports compartmentation, where a building is divided into sections to slow the spread of a fire.

Fire doors can therefore provide additional time for occupants to escape while also helping protect important escape routes.

However, they only work properly when all of their components are functioning as intended. The door, frame, hinges, glazing, seals and self-closing mechanism may all contribute to its performance.

What About the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022?

Businesses may also have heard about the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and additional rules concerning fire doors.

These particular fire-door inspection requirements relate to multi-occupied residential buildings rather than ordinary commercial premises. For buildings over 11 metres in height within their scope, communal fire doors must be checked at least every three months, while best endeavours must be made to check flat entrance doors at least annually.

Commercial property owners should not confuse these specific requirements with their wider duties under the Fire Safety Order.

Why Fire Door Maintenance Matters

Installing the correct fire doors is only the beginning. Like other fire safety equipment, doors can deteriorate through everyday use.

Doors may become damaged, hinges can wear and self-closing devices may stop operating correctly. Seals can also become damaged, while alterations to the door or surrounding frame may affect its ability to perform as intended.

A fire door that is wedged open or fails to close fully cannot provide the protection expected from it.

Regular checks and professional fire door maintenance can identify these problems before they compromise the building’s fire protection.

For businesses, maintaining fire doors should form part of a wider fire safety strategy alongside fire risk assessments, alarms, emergency lighting and fire stopping. Robinsons Facilities Services can help businesses inspect and maintain fire doors, addressing defects and helping ensure these important safety features continue to provide the protection they were designed for.

Trust our expert team to keep your business safe and compliant with UK legislation.

Call 01423 226578 or send us an enquiry today for a free, no-obligation quote.