Sectors

Fire risk assessments and building maintenance for blocks of flats

A block of flats has a Responsible Person, a fire risk assessment that must be kept current, and an outside that needs cleaning, clearing and checking every year. SeeForth does both sides of that from one office, for managing agents, residents' management companies and landlords across London, Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridge.

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What the law asks of a block of flats

  • The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 puts a duty on the Responsible Person, usually the freeholder, the managing agent or the residents' management company, to have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment of the common parts and to keep it under review.
  • The Fire Safety Act 2021 made clear that the assessment covers the structure, the external walls including cladding and balconies, and the flat entrance doors.
  • The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 added duties for blocks over 11 metres and again over 18 metres: fire door checks, information for residents, wayfinding signage, and information for the fire and rescue service.
  • The Building Safety Act 2022 brought in the Building Safety Regulator and the higher-risk building regime for blocks of 18 metres or seven storeys and above.
  • BS 9792:2025 is the code of practice for fire risk assessment in housing. It replaced PAS 79-2 on 1 August 2025 and is the method we use for blocks of flats.

Our fire risk assessment page explains what the assessment covers and how the visit runs. Our explainer sets out when a block also needs a fire strategy.

Who does the assessing

Two assessors, both holding the NSA Level 6 Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment and both IFSM registered. Warwick Theophane covers Essex, Suffolk and London. Raphael Whitmore covers North London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The written report arrives within 48 hours of the visit, with hazards in plain language, actions ranked by risk, and what was not inspected stated plainly. We assess; we never carry out the fire safety works a report calls for.

The outside of the block

Gutters and rainwater goods

Cleared at any height by rope access, MEWP or high-reach vacuum, with photographs of what came out. The Cambridge block on our books is cleared in November and March. See the Cambridge case study.

Window cleaning

Reach and wash up to about five storeys, rope access or MEWP above that. Residents are told which elevations are in use each day. Priced per building, not per window.

Cladding and render cleaning

Soft washing for render, purified water for cladding panels, never a pressure washer on render. Any damaged panel, cracked render or failed sealant is photographed and reported.

Eyebolt testing

Inspection, pull testing and certification of the anchors used for rope access and fall arrest, with a register for the block.

Roof repairs

Ridge tiles, dry ridge systems, slipped tiles and flashing, by rope, MEWP or roof ladder. See the ridge tile case study.

Bird proofing

Netting and spikes on ledges, balconies and plant areas, with the fouling cleared first.

For managing agents

  • One supplier across a portfolio. The fire risk assessments and the external maintenance for every block on one calendar, with one point of contact.
  • Reports written for the person who has to act. The building as found, hazards in plain language, actions ranked by risk, and photographs of every elevation after external work. They go straight into the block's records.
  • Review dates tracked. We tell you when each assessment is due for review and when a change to the building, a refurbishment or a change of use brings it forward.
  • Resident communication handled. Notices before any visit, daily updates to the site contact, a supervisor on the ground.
  • Section 20 friendly. Where works fall under a consultation, the quote is broken down the way the agent needs it.

Where we work

Blocks across Greater London, including the City and Canary Wharf and Docklands, and across Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridge, from our office at 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE.

How to book

  1. Send the address and tell us whether you need the fire risk assessment, the external work or both. For a fire risk assessment, our five-minute pre-inspection form tells us what the block needs before anyone visits.
  2. Survey. An assessor or a supervisor looks at the block, the common parts, the anchors and the ground for a lift.
  3. Fixed quote, with the method for each elevation, the dates and any licence lead time.
  4. The work, then the report, within 48 hours for an assessment and on completion for external work.

Common questions

How often does a block of flats need a fire risk assessment?

The law says it must be kept under review. Most blocks are reviewed every twelve months and reassessed in full every three to five years, or sooner after a fire, a refurbishment, a change of use or a change to the external wall. Our report states the review date.

Does the assessment cover the flats themselves?

It covers the common parts, the structure, the external walls and the flat entrance doors, which is what the Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified. It does not go inside individual flats, though the report will say what residents should be told.

Is a block over 18 metres treated differently?

Yes. Blocks of 18 metres or seven storeys and above are higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022, with registration with the Building Safety Regulator and additional duties under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. We assess these blocks and say plainly where a fire strategy or an external wall appraisal is also needed.

Can you clean the windows of an occupied block?

Yes. Residents are told before the visit and each day which elevations are in use. Reach and wash works from the ground up to about five storeys; above that we use rope access from tested anchors or a MEWP. A supervisor is on the ground throughout.

Do you do the fire safety works the report calls for?

No. We assess and we do not sell the works, so the report is not a sales document. Where external maintenance is needed, such as gutters, cladding or roof repairs, that is a separate quote and you are free to use anyone.

Can you work with a managing agent across several blocks?

Yes. That is how most of our block work runs: one calendar for assessments and external maintenance across a portfolio, one contact, and reports that go straight into each block's records.

Tell us the building and we will tell you what it needs. Call 020 4634 3089 or send the address and a photo.

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Contact us about your property

Let us know which of our specialist cleaning or maintenance solutions you need.

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