Almost half (42%) of audited buildings in England failed their fire safety checks on the first visit in 2024/25, research has revealed.
The study, carried out by Direct365, analysed the latest Home Office Fire Statistics in England to reveal a significant disparity in safety standards across different building types.
With over 2.5 million premises known to fire authorities but only 52,026 audits conducted in 2024/25, the data suggests it would take nearly half a century (48 years) for the UK’s fire services to inspect every building just once.
Houses converted to flats recorded the highest rate of audit failures in the UK. Out of the 790 audits carried out on these premises, 59% resulted in a failure to meet the required standards. HMOs and hotels saw the joint-second highest failure rate, with 55% of audited buildings in both categories failing their safety checks.
Hospitals followed closely behind, with exactly half (50%) of the 766 audits conducted in the past year deemed unsatisfactory. This was followed by licensed premises (pubs/clubs) at 49%.
Meanwhile, further education premises recorded the highest amount of audit successes. Out of the 441 audits carried out in the sector, 74% resulted in a satisfactory pass. Public buildings saw the second highest pass rate, with 73% of audited buildings meeting the required safety standards.
Offices and schools also performed strongly compared to the national average, recording pass rates of 70% and 68% respectively, while other premises open to the public stood at 69%.
The data highlights a disparity in how different sectors are monitored when looking at the proportion of buildings inspected. Care Homes are the most scrutinised business type in the UK, with 20% of all known premises receiving an audit in the last year. Hospitals also see significant oversight, with 12% of all sites receiving a specialist inspection.
In contrast, only 1.2% of houses converted to flats were audited in 2024/25, while less than 1% of the UK’s 94,000 known HMOs were inspected, despite more than half failing to meet standards. The least scrutinised sector overall is offices. With over 292,000 premises across the UK, only 0.7% received a fire safety audit last year.
"The data reveals a worrying 'fire safety lottery' across the UK," Karl Bantleman, head of digital – specialist businesses at Direct365, said. "While sectors like care homes see 1 in 5 premises audited annually, the commercial buildings where people are most at risk, such as houses converted into flats, are slipping through the cracks with significantly less scrutiny.
"With a staggering 59% failure rate for converted flats, it is clear that the sectors receiving the least attention from inspectors are often the ones most in need of it. Business owners and landlords cannot afford to wait for an audit that, statistically, may only happen once every 48 years.
"To help protect premises and ensure fire safety audits are satisfactory, business owners must keep all emergency exits clear, ensure fire doors are never wedged open, and, most importantly, ensure Fire Risk Assessments are reviewed annually."
