Resident fire safety guide
Your Guide to Fire Safety across Residentive Managed Estates
Last updated: 14 August 2026
In an emergency
If you discover a fire, dial 999 immediately.
There is no managed 24/7 company emergency line. The Fire Brigade is the emergency responder.
About this guide
This page provides a foundational guide to fire safety applicable to most multi-occupied residential buildings under our management, in line with the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which requires every household to receive fire safety guidance from their property manager.
While this page outlines general principles and resident obligations, it is crucial that you understand the mandatory fire safety strategy specific to your building.
Where to find YOUR mandatory, specific building information
Your specific fire safety plan, evacuation strategy, and assembly point are not on this page. They are displayed clearly within your own building's communal area, typically:
- In the main entrance lobby.
- By the stairwell entrances on every floor.
- On the “Fire Action!” poster you scanned to reach this page.
Universal
General fire action guide
If you discover a fire in your home
- 1
Raise the alarm
Alert everyone else in the property and, if your building has a communal alarm, use the nearest break-glass call point (where fitted).
- 2
Get out
Evacuate immediately with all occupants. Do not stop to collect belongings or fight the fire yourself.
- 3
Close doors
If it is safe to do so, close windows and internal doors behind you, and turn off your cooker/oven if it is on, to slow the spread of fire and smoke.
- 4
Leave your front door unlocked
Close it behind you but leave it unlocked where possible, so the Fire and Rescue Service can gain access.
- 5
Stay out
Once outside, stay outside. Do not re-enter for any reason.
- 6
Dial 999
Call the Fire Brigade immediately and give your full address, including apartment/flat number.
If a fire occurs elsewhere in your building
Or the alarm sounds and you're not sure why.
- 1
Follow your building’s strategy
Follow the mandatory Evacuation Strategy displayed on your building’s poster — either Stay Put or Simultaneous Evacuation (see below).
- 2
If you are not in your property
If you become aware of a fire elsewhere: dial 999 while making your way to safety via your nearest escape route. Do not use a lift, do not stop to collect belongings, and do not return to your property or re-enter the building until the emergency services confirm it is safe.
Never use lifts
Lifts must never be used during a fire. They are reserved for use by the Fire and Rescue Service and may become trapped or fail.
Know your building
Understanding building evacuation strategies
While we manage numerous estates, there are two main categories of fire evacuation strategy used in multi-occupied buildings. You must confirm which strategy applies to your specific address by referring to your building's physical poster — do not assume, and do not rely on what a neighbouring or previous building used.
Strategy AStay Put
When this policy applies
Your building is constructed with a high level of compartmentation — fire walls, fire doors and fire-resistant floors — designed to contain a fire within the flat it starts in, typically for at least 60 minutes. The alarm (where fitted) will usually only sound in the flat affected.
Your action
- Unless the fire is in your own home, remain inside your flat with doors and windows closed, and await instructions from the Fire and Rescue Service.
- You must leave immediately if smoke or heat starts to affect your own home, or if you’re told to evacuate by the Fire Service.
- If in doubt, get out.
- You are not prevented from leaving if you don’t feel safe — but be aware that doing so may put you in a smoke-logged escape route and may slow the Fire Service’s access. If you choose to self-evacuate, use your nearest safe escape route and never a lift.
Strategy BSimultaneous evacuation (Get Out)
When this policy applies
This usually applies where compartmentation isn’t sufficient to safely rely on Stay Put, or where other building features mean it isn’t safe for residents to remain in their flats. If a fire occurs anywhere in the building, the main alarm will sound throughout.
Your action
- If the main building alarm sounds, everyone must leave immediately by their nearest safe escape route — raise the alarm using a break-glass call point (where fitted) on your way out if it hasn’t already been triggered.
- Proceed to the designated Assembly Point for your building.
- Wait at the assembly point, or in a safe location away from the building, until instructed to return by the Fire and Rescue Service.
Find your assembly point
Your Assembly Point location is specific to your estate. You must check your building's “Fire Action!” poster for its exact location. Do not rely on general knowledge or on what another building uses.
Lease & tenancy
Your legal responsibilities as a resident
Adhering to fire safety principles is a mandatory requirement for all residents of multi-occupied blocks, and typically forms part of your lease or tenancy agreement. If you are a landlord, you must ensure your tenant(s) are made aware of the information on this page.
Protecting the building's fire doors
A fire door is not a normal door — it's an engineered system designed to save lives by containing fire and smoke for a set period. Your flat front door, and doors within communal stairwells, corridors and cupboards, are likely to be certified fire doors (e.g. FD30S), and communal fire doors are typically marked with a blue fire door sign.
Do not prop open
Do not prop open communal fire doors. This is a serious breach of safety and allows fire and smoke to spread instantly throughout the building.
Do not alter your front door
No drilling, cutting, added hardware, or replacement without explicit written approval from the Managing Agent. You may also need consent from the freeholder and local building control approval. Any approved replacement door must carry a certificate confirming an equivalent fire rating, which you should keep.
Check your closer
Your front door should self-close fully and tightly into the frame from any open position. If it doesn't, report this immediately as a priority fault.
Flat front door inspections
For buildings over 11 metres in height (England), regulations require your flat entrance door to be checked at least once a year. We will visit at least once per quarter and attempt to gain access; if we can't, we'll leave a calling card and advertise the date of the next visit on the noticeboard. On the first visit, a unique QR sticker may be placed on the top hinge side of your door to record inspection history — please do not remove it.
Five-point self-check
You can check your own front door between inspections:
- 1
Door and frame
No open holes, breaks, or damage to either.
- 2
Door seals
Smoke/intumescent seals present around the door or frame, intact and undamaged.
- 3
Hinges, handles and latches
Fixed firmly, operating correctly, at least 3 hinges with no screws missing.
- 4
Closes correctly
Open the door halfway and let go; it should swing fully closed into the frame without sticking on the floor, frame or latch.
- 5
Gaps
Less than 4mm between door and frame at the top and sides (a £1 coin is roughly 3mm, useful as a rough gauge), and less than 10mm at the threshold. If you can see daylight under the door, the gap is likely too big.
If any of these checks raise a concern, please report it to us — see Reporting fire safety concerns below.
Communal fire doors
We inspect communal fire doors — across corridors, stairwells, and electrical cupboards — on a quarterly basis to make sure they're in working order. In buildings over 11 metres in height (England), we're required to check and record findings on these doors quarterly.
Other fire safety features you may see in your building
Not every building has every feature below — what's installed depends on your building's design and its Fire Risk Assessment. You'll find out what applies to your building from your FRA summary or your building's poster.
Fire signage
Fire exit signs (marking the final exit), directional signage (guiding you to your escape route), fire action notices, and wayfinding signage (helping the Fire Service identify floors).
Dry/wet risers
Used by the Fire and Rescue Service to get water to upper floors quickly. Access to riser outlets and connection points must never be blocked.
Emergency lighting
Lights escape routes automatically if there is a power failure, guiding you to the stairs or exit.
Smoke ventilation (AOVs)
Automatic Opening Vents that open when smoke is detected, clearing smoke from escape routes to help residents get out and firefighters get in.
Zero tolerance for clutter in communal areas
Hallways, stairwells, and entrance lobbies are your primary escape routes and must remain completely clear of obstructions or combustible materials at all times. We operate a zero-tolerance policy.
No personal items
Bicycles, e-scooters, prams, pushchairs, doormats, shoe racks, pot plants.
No rubbish or recycling
Never left in communal hallways, even temporarily.
Items found obstructing communal escape routes will be removed without notice.
Prevention
Reducing fire risk in your home
Smoke alarms
Smoke alarms save lives.
- Test your smoke alarm(s) monthly.
- Ten-year sealed-battery alarms are recommended and save the ongoing cost of replacing batteries.
- Consider a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (gas cookers excluded).
- If your alarm has a one-year battery, replace it annually — and never disconnect or remove a battery if the alarm goes off, even if you believe it’s a false alarm.
- Mains-powered alarms should be installed by a qualified electrician and still require regular testing.
- If your smoke detector may be linked to a communal alarm system, check with us before testing — in some developments, testing can trigger a false communal alarm.
In the kitchen
- Never leave cooking unattended — take pans off the heat if you need to step away.
- Avoid cooking under the influence of alcohol.
- Keep children away from the hob, and matches and pan handles out of reach.
- Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob.
- Double-check the cooker is off once you’ve finished.
Deep fat frying
Dry food before frying to avoid splashing hot oil; if oil starts to smoke, it's too hot — turn off the heat and let it cool; a thermostat-controlled electric fryer removes the overheating risk entirely.
Electrics
- Keep to one plug per socket where possible, and don’t overload extension leads or adaptors — different appliances draw different amounts of power (e.g. a TV vs. a vacuum cleaner), so know the limit.
- Watch for scorch marks, hot plugs/sockets, fuses that blow or breakers that trip for no obvious reason, or flickering lights.
- Unplug appliances when not in use, fully charged, or before bed.
- Keep appliances clean and well maintained.
Cigarettes & vapes
- Stub cigarettes out fully and dispose of them carefully — never leave one lit and unattended.
- Unplug e-cigarettes once fully charged, and always use the correct, manufacturer-approved charger.
Candles
- Use a proper, stable holder, kept away from curtains, tissues or other combustible materials.
- Extinguish candles fully whenever you leave the room, and always before bed.
- Keep pets away from lit candles.
- Consider LED or battery alternatives.
Balconies & barbecues
- Do not use BBQs, patio heaters, or naked flames on balconies — this is a common cause of building fires and is strictly prohibited in most leases. The Fire Service advises never using a barbecue or open flame on a balcony or indoors.
- Do not store combustible items on balconies — gas bottles, upholstered furniture, or general clutter.
E-bikes & e-scooters
- Do not charge lithium-ion batteries inside your flat overnight or while asleep.
- Charge them clear of your main exit route.
- Never charge or store e-bikes/e-scooters in communal areas.
- Use only the manufacturer-approved charger for your device.
Residentive compliance
Compliance, vulnerable residents, and reporting concerns
Fire Risk Assessments (FRA)
As the responsible agent/RMC, we're legally required to carry out regular, professional Fire Risk Assessments of the communal parts of every multi-occupied building under our care. You have a right to access fire safety information about your building:
- Refer to your address-specific communications, or the dynamic QR code on your building’s Fire Action poster (if applicable).
- Or contact us directly and request the FRA summary for your address.
Assistance during evacuation (vulnerable residents)
Some residents may need assistance to evacuate — due to mobility, sensory, or cognitive impairment. Confidentially notifying us of your situation allows us to help arrange a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP), and ensures this information is available to the Fire Service in an emergency.
If you or someone you live with would need assistance, please contact our specialised compliance team. This information is held in confidence.
enquiries@residentive.co.ukWaking watch
In some circumstances — for example, while remedial fire safety works are ongoing — we may be required to put a temporary “waking watch” in place: trained personnel patrolling the building to identify a fire quickly and alert residents. If this measure applies to your building, it will be communicated to you directly and detailed on your building's poster.
Reporting fire safety concerns
If you notice a potential fire safety issue, do not ignore it.
Report immediately
A fire door propped open, a broken self-closing device, items obstructing an escape route, damaged emergency lighting, or anyone tampering with fire safety equipment.
How to report a concern (non-emergency)
Issues reported via these methods are monitored during normal business hours.
enquiries@residentive.co.uk
App / portal
Log the issue via your resident portal/app (Residentive).
In an emergency
- If you discover a fire: Dial 999 immediately.
- If a fault occurs out of hours (evenings/weekends) that compromises the safety or evacuation of the building — for example, a main exit door is jammed shut, or a communal alarm is sounding continuously — and it cannot wait until the next working day, you must dial 999 and ask for the Fire Brigade. They are the only emergency responder available outside our normal business hours.
Be prepared
Fire safety checklist
Be prepared
Smoke alarms
Living safely
This page is general guidance for Residentive-managed estates. Your building's Fire Action posters, evacuation strategy, and assembly point always take precedence.