Fire risk assessments
About fire risk assessments
All buildings in England and Wales containing flats must have a fire risk assessment (FRA) of the shared areas.
A fire risk assessment reviews the dangers of a fire breaking out in your building and will recommend ways to reduce risks and protect life.
A fire risk assessment looks at:
- how likely a fire is to start
- what would happen if a fire did start
- how to reduce the risk of fire starting or spreading
- precautions to take to keep people safe
Types of fire risk assessment
There are 4 types (sometimes called levels) of fire risk assessment. These range from an investigation into shared parts of a building (Type 1) to a full review of individual flats and common parts that involves opening up things like ceilings or surface risers (Type 4).
Fire risk assessment and FRAEW
Although an FRA will include a review of external walls, it is different to a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW).
A FRAEW happens when a building’s external walls contain – or are suspected of containing – combustible materials. This is something that could be discovered as part of an FRA.
Frequency of fire risk assessments
The law does not specify how often a fire risk assessment (FRA) must happen.
The law says the person responsible for the FRA in your building must review it ‘regularly’ to make sure it is up to date.
The responsible person must review the FRA if:
- there is reason to think it is no longer valid (for example, there has been a fire in the shared parts of the building)
- there have been significant changes since the assessment was done (for example, major building works or more people using the building)
The fire risk assessment itself might include a recommendation on how often it should be reviewed or updated.
Reviewing an existing FRA can take less time and be done more frequently than carrying out a new one.
- Last updated:
- 21 April 2026
- Next review:
- 21 April 2027
Related content
A guide to fire safety measures for leaseholders covering who pays, legal responsibilities, fire alarms, personal evacuation plans (PEEPs)
Advice guideResponsibilities for fire doors in flats, and what to do if you need to replace your door
Advice guideThings to know if you're buying a leasehold flat, and the buying and selling process
Topic - Buying and selling