"Under the Building Safety Act, compliance can no longer be assumed; it must be proven. Building managers across BTR, the PRS, and social housing now need clear evidence of what was inspected, when, and by whom. Gaps in record-keeping represent a serious operational, financial, and regulatory risk"
- David Simpson - Drax Technology
Nearly half of all purpose-built flat blocks audited in England last year failed fire safety inspections, with landlords and building managers facing mounting pressure to demonstrate compliance under increasingly stringent regulations.
Of the 4,257 buildings over four storeys audited between April 2024 and March 2025, 1,923, or 45%, were rated unsatisfactory by Fire and Rescue Services, requiring remedial action ranging from minor fixes to serious structural concerns. Across England, an estimated 120,000 buildings of this size exist, meaning the audited sample represents only a fraction of the total stock.
What the audits found
Fire safety audits are conducted by Fire and Rescue Services to assess whether buildings meet legal safety standards. Inspectors review records, check fire safety equipment, and evaluate management practices. The outcome is binary: satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Where a building fails, the Responsible Person, typically the landlord or building manager, must address the identified issues.
The consequences for the worst offenders were significant. Twenty buildings received a Prohibition Notice, the most serious enforcement measure short of prosecution, meaning all or part of a premises could be immediately closed due to a serious and imminent risk to life, such as exposed wiring classed as a fire hazard.
Six cases resulted in prosecution following failures to act on remedial notices. In total, 445 formal enforcement notices were served, each requiring building managers to correct fire safety deficiencies within a fixed timeframe, with fines or prosecution possible for non-compliance.
Where breaches were less serious, Fire and Rescue Services issued informal notifications rather than formal legal notices.
Why landlords need to act now
The figures were analysed by Drax Technology, a UK provider of fire and life safety compliance software.
"Blocked escape routes, failing emergency lighting, and faulty alarms are too often pushed down maintenance lists until a fire exposes the devastating consequences," said David Simpson, group product director at Drax Technology.
"Under the Building Safety Act, compliance can no longer be assumed; it must be proven. Building managers across BTR, the PRS, and social housing now need clear evidence of what was inspected, when, and by whom. Gaps in record-keeping represent a serious operational, financial, and regulatory risk."
Simpson identified two core problems running through the data: widespread non-compliance and a lack of real-time visibility over fire safety standards. In many cases, he noted, building managers simply do not have a clear picture of the safety status of their properties, even where technology exists to provide it.
"There is no room for uncertainty when it comes to resident safety," he said. "Digital platforms can give property teams constant oversight of fire safety systems, allowing issues to be identified and resolved before inspections, or worse, before an emergency."
The risks are particularly acute in taller buildings. The data showed that 34% of high-rise blocks of 10 storeys or more received an unsatisfactory audit, a finding Simpson described as alarming.
"High-rise buildings pose greater risks because firefighter access is more complex, so robust and consistent fire safety measures are critical," he said. "The industry must step up and do better."
What this means for landlords
For private landlords and portfolio investors managing purpose-built flats, the data is a clear warning. The Building Safety Act has shifted the compliance burden significantly, requiring documented proof of inspections rather than a general assumption that standards are being met.
The following obligations now apply to responsible persons managing relevant buildings:
- Maintaining up-to-date fire safety records, including who inspected what and when
- Ensuring fire safety equipment, including alarms and emergency lighting, is regularly checked and functional
- Keeping escape routes clear and unobstructed at all times
- Acting promptly on any enforcement notices or informal notifications from Fire and Rescue Services
- Reviewing compliance procedures after any structural alterations to a building
The slight improvement on the previous year's 49% failure rate offers limited comfort, given the scale of non-compliance still recorded. With regulators increasingly willing to pursue formal enforcement action, landlords who treat fire safety as a box-ticking exercise rather than an ongoing management priority face real financial and legal exposure.
As audit activity continues and the Building Safety Act embeds further into the regulatory landscape, landlords managing blocks of flats should treat fire safety compliance as a core operational responsibility, not an afterthought.
