In multi-tenant buildings, fire safety responsibility is often assumed rather than clearly understood. Most people default to the idea that the landlord is responsible for everything, but that’s not how the legislation works in practice. 

Responsibility is shared between landlords, tenants, and sometimes managing agents. The issue isn’t that the law is unclear, it’s that the way responsibility is split across a building is rarely communicated properly, leading to gaps in knowledge and responsibility. Those gaps matter as if no one is completely sure who is responsible for what, important tasks get missed and fire safety can be compromised. 

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 

The governing legislation is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This introduces the concept of the “responsible person” role. In simple terms, it means the person or organisation with control over a building, or part of it, is responsible for managing fire safety risks within that area. 

That means in a multi-occupied building, responsibility is not automatically held by one party. It can be split. So a single building can have multiple responsible persons, each accountable for their own areas. It’s not unusual, and it’s exactly how the legislation is intended to operate. 

Who is the responsible person for fire safety in a multi-tenant building? 

In most multi-occupied commercial buildings, responsibility is divided in a fairly consistent way. The landlord is usually responsible for the common parts of the building. This includes areas such as corridors, stairwells, entrance lobbies, shared plant rooms, and escape routes. Whereas tenants are responsible for their own areas like the internal space they occupy. 

This division is important because it reflects how risk is actually managed in practice. Shared areas affect everyone in the building, while internal areas are controlled by individual occupiers. Common parts are where the landlord’s responsibilities are most vital, particularly because they form the main escape routes in the event of a fire. 

Landlord’s fire safety obligations 

As mentioned above, landlords have responsibility for the overall safety of shared areas and building-wide systems. A fire risk assessment is required for the common parts, and it must be suitable for the building as it now exists. It should be reviewed regularly or when significant changes occur.  

Active fire safety systems, such as fire alarms and emergency lighting, must be maintained and regularly tested. These systems are essential for early warning and safe evacuation. Passive fire protection is equally important. Fire doors, compartmentation, and fire stopping are designed to contain fire and smoke. If these are not maintained properly, fire can spread quickly through a building, undermining the entire safety strategy.  

Signage and evacuation information in communal areas also fall under landlord responsibility. Occupants need clear and consistent instructions about escape routes and assembly points. In residential buildings, there is also a requirement to provide residents with fire safety information annually. This includes details of the evacuation strategy in place and what to do in the event of a fire. 

For residential buildings over 11 metres, there is a legal requirement for regular fire door inspections. The Responsible Person should complete quarterly inspections of communal fire doors, and annual inspections of flat entrance fire doors. 

Tenant fire safety responsibilities 

Tenants also carry significant responsibility within their own areas. Each tenant must produce a fire risk assessment for their space. This should reflect how the space is actually used, including occupancy levels, processes, and internal layout. 

Tenants are responsible for the safety of their own staff and visitors. That includes having appropriate evacuation procedures in place and ensuring people know what to do in an emergency. Anything within the tenant’s control generally sits with them. This includes portable electrical equipment and PAT testing within their space. 

The only exception is shared or communal facilities. In those cases, responsibility typically sits with the landlord, as those areas fall outside individual tenant control. 

Tenant fitouts and building modifications 

One of the most overlooked risks in multi-tenant buildings comes from tenant alterations. Fit-outs, refurbishments, and layout changes can all affect how fire behaves within a building. The issue is that these changes are often made without reference to the building’s original fire strategy. Without that context, it becomes difficult to assess whether changes are still compatible with the overall fire safety design. 

This can result in unintended consequences such as compromised escape routes, reduced compartmentation, or changes that affect how smoke and fire spread. For landlords, this means tenant works should not be approved purely on design drawings. They need to be considered in relation to the building’s fire strategy, ideally with input from a competent fire safety professional. 

What happens when fire safety responsibilities break down? 

When responsibility is not clearly coordinated, multi-tenant buildings tend to drift into poor compliance over time. Tenants may make changes independently, fire risk assessments may not be shared or updated, maintenance records can become inconsistent or incomplete, and eventually the building gradually stops operating as a single, coherent fire safety system. 

At that point, enforcement action becomes more likely. This can include enforcement notices, prohibition notices, and in serious cases, prosecution. Serious fire incidents are rarely caused by one failure, instead they usually result from multiple small breakdowns in communication, oversight, and responsibility over time. High-profile tragedies in the UK have demonstrated how quickly these issues can escalate when systems and accountability are not properly managed. 

Fire safety checklist for landlords 

Overall building safety 

  • Carry out a fire risk assessment for all communal/shared areas  
  • Ensure the assessment is suitable for the building as currently built  
  • Review the assessment annually  
  • Update it whenever significant building changes occur  

Active fire safety systems 

  • Maintain and regularly test fire alarm systems  
  • Maintain and regularly test emergency lighting  
  • Maintain fire extinguishers 
  • Ensure systems provide early warning and safe evacuation support  

Passive fire protection 

  • Maintain fire doors  
  • Maintain compartmentation (fire-resistant building sections)  
  • Maintain fire stopping measures  
  • Ensure all passive protections are kept effective to limit fire and smoke spread  

Signage & evacuation information 

  • Provide clear fire exit signage in communal areas  
  • Display evacuation routes and assembly point information  
  • Ensure instructions are clear and consistent for all occupants  
  • Provide residents with annual fire safety information, including evacuation strategy and what to do in the event of a fire  

Residential fire door inspections 

  • For residential buildings over 11 metres, carry out quarterly inspections of communal fire doors and annual inspections of flat entrance fire doors 
  • Ensure fire doors continue to provide effective smoke and fire resistance 

Final thoughts 

Fire safety in multi-tenant buildings depends on clarity and coordination rather than complexity. Once responsibility is properly understood and actively managed, compliance becomes far more straightforward. 

 

If you’re responsible for managing a multi-tenant building and want clarity on your legal duties, structured fire risk assessments, or help reviewing your current compliance position, RM Risk Management can support you. 

 

We work with landlords, managing agents, and property managers across the UK to deliver fire safety solutions. You can get in touch with our team here for a free, no-obligation quote.