For years, fire risk assessments were often treated as a one-off task. Get it done, file it away, and only look at it again if something obvious changed.
That approach no longer works.
Across East and West Sussex, many landlords and business owners are discovering that fire risk assessments are now one of their biggest compliance blind spots, often without realising it.
Fire safety expectations have changed.
Enforcement has changed.
Scrutiny has changed.
If your fire risk assessment has not kept pace, you may already be exposed.
If you are any of the following, this applies to you:
A landlord of a converted house or small block of flats
A freeholder or managing agent
A shop, café, restaurant, office, or salon occupier
A commercial tenant with staff or public access
You are very likely classed as a Responsible Person under fire safety legislation.
That responsibility is personal. It cannot be assumed away, passed to someone else, or ignored because the building is small or familiar.
Many people only realise this when they are asked to prove compliance.
One of the most common things we hear is:
“Nothing has changed, so the fire risk assessment should still be fine.”
In reality, change is often gradual and easy to miss.
Fire risk increases through:
New tenants, staff, or occupancy patterns
Increased use of electrical equipment
Ageing fire doors, emergency lighting, and alarm systems
Wear and tear to escape routes
A lack of inspections, testing, or records
Even when a building looks the same, the risk profile often is not.
Many landlords and business owners are relying on fire risk assessments that:
Are several years old
Contain generic or minimal wording
Have no clear actions or timescales
Were never reviewed after changes occurred
These documents may still exist, but that does not mean they are suitable or sufficient.
Increasingly, enforcing authorities, insurers, managing agents, and solicitors are asking simple but critical questions:
When was it last reviewed?
What actions were raised and were they completed?
Would this assessment stand up after a fire or inspection?
If those answers are unclear, the assessment offers little real protection.
Across Sussex, the same issues appear again and again.
Fire doors
Flat entrance doors that are not fire-resisting
Missing or faulty self-closing devices
Damage, excessive gaps, or poor repairs
Emergency lighting
No emergency lighting in converted properties
Systems present but not tested or maintained
Fault indicators ignored
Fire detection
Outdated or poorly designed systems
No evidence of testing or servicing
Inappropriate detectors in kitchens or escape routes
Fire safety management
No fire safety logbook
No routine inspections
Unclear responsibility between landlords and tenants
These are not minor technical details. They are core life safety issues.
If you operate a business, even a small one, your risk increases significantly where:
Staff are employed
Members of the public are present
Cooking, storage, or electrical equipment is used
In mixed-use buildings with shops below and flats above, problems in the commercial unit can directly endanger residents. This is an area where enforcement action is commonly taken.
Assuming fire safety is “covered elsewhere” is one of the most common and costly mistakes made by commercial tenants.
Failing to have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment can lead to:
Enforcement or prohibition notices
Delays to sales, leases, or insurance
Significant fines
Personal liability if something goes wrong
More importantly, it places lives at risk. That is where consequences escalate fastest.
A modern fire risk assessment should:
Reflect how the premises are used today
Be reviewed when change occurs
Identify clear, proportionate actions
Show that fire risk is actively managed
If your fire risk assessment exists only because “it was done once”, it is unlikely to be doing what it needs to do.
If you are a landlord or commercial premises operator and any of the following apply:
Your fire risk assessment is more than a few years old
You are unsure when it was last reviewed
The building use, tenants, or layout have changed
You would not feel confident explaining it to an enforcing officer
Now is the time to have it reviewed.
A professional fire risk assessment is not about unnecessary work or cost. It is about demonstrating control, compliance, and responsibility before an issue arises rather than after.
If you would like a clear, practical assessment tailored to your building and how it is actually used, get in touch to discuss your premises and next steps.
