Fire door checks are the routine inspection a responsible person makes of every fire door they are responsible for, and in England the routine is now written down. Under Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, as the Home Office fact sheet cited below states it, the responsible person for a multi-occupied residential building in England with storeys over 11 metres must undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors, including self-closing devices, in the common parts, and, on a best endeavour basis, annual checks of all flat entrance doors that lead onto the common parts. The fact sheet lists what a check covers: whether there has been any alteration or damage to the door's glazing apertures or air transfer grille, whether there are gaps around the door frame and whether the seals and hinges are fitted correctly, that the door closer shuts the door, that the door closes correctly around the whole frame, and that there is no visible damage to the door or the closer. The fire door inspection checklist on this site prints that list sized to your building, with no account, and the paid product keeps the completed checks as the record.
What a check covers
The fact sheet's list is the check: alterations or damage to glazing and grilles, gaps around the frame, seals and hinges fitted correctly, the closer shutting the door, the door closing correctly around the whole frame, and no visible damage to door or closer. Each is a line on the checklist with a result, and a check that skips a line is not the check the regulation describes. The checklist on this site carries exactly these lines.
How often
Quarterly for the fire doors in the common parts, annually on a best endeavour basis for the flat entrance doors that open onto them, in buildings with storeys over 11 metres. Below that height the Fire Safety Order's general duty to maintain still applies, and the frequency is the responsible person's own decision recorded in the fire risk assessment. The regulations register on this site holds the frequency per building.
By whom
The regulation places the duty on the responsible person; it does not require a certified inspector for the routine check. A competent person with the checklist, the fact sheet's list and a record is what the duty describes. A survey by a specialist is a different thing, priced by the survey cost calculator on this site.
The record
A check that was not recorded cannot be shown to have happened. The record is the date, the door, each item's result, the defects found and who did it, kept with the previous checks so the pattern is visible. DoorsetBook Pro keeps that record per door and reminds the responsible person when the next check is due.
Questions people ask about fire door checks
Do fire door checks apply to a house?
The Regulation 10 duty is for multi-occupied residential buildings over 11 metres; a single house has no such duty. Common parts of any block fall under the Fire Safety Order's maintenance duty.
Can residents do the flat entrance door check?
The regulation puts the duty on the responsible person and says the check is on a best endeavour basis, because access depends on the resident. Record the attempts as well as the checks.
Is the checklist free?
Yes: the fire door inspection checklist prints the check for your building without an account. Keeping the completed checks is the paid product.