The Building Safety Act Explained

The Building Safety Act 2022 represents the most significant change to building safety legislation in a generation. Introduced in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, the Act fundamentally reshapes how buildings are designed, constructed, and managed — with fire safety at its core. For building owners, landlords, housing associations, and facilities managers, understanding what the Act requires is no longer optional. It is a legal obligation.

At Ultra-Fire, we work with clients across London who are navigating the practical implications of this legislation every day. This guide breaks down what you need to know.

What Is the Building Safety Act 2022?

The Building Safety Act received Royal Assent in April 2022. It came into force in stages, with the most significant provisions — including the new higher-risk building regime — taking effect from October 2023. The Act was designed to address the systemic failures in building safety culture that were exposed by the Grenfell Tower disaster, creating clearer lines of responsibility and much stronger enforcement mechanisms.

Alongside the Act, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced specific new duties for responsible persons in multi-occupied residential buildings — particularly around fire door inspection.

Higher-Risk Buildings: A New Regime

The most demanding provisions of the Act apply to higher-risk buildings (HRBs), defined as residential buildings of at least 18 metres or seven storeys that contain at least two dwellings. These buildings are now subject to a mandatory registration and assessment regime overseen by the Building Safety Regulator.

Every HRB must have an identified Accountable Person — typically the building owner or freeholder — and, where there is more than one, a Principal Accountable Person with overall responsibility. These individuals must:

• Register the building with the Building Safety Regulator
• Produce and maintain a Safety Case and Safety Case Report demonstrating that the building is safe
• Establish and maintain a Building Safety Management System
• Engage with residents and demonstrate that residents' concerns can be raised and addressed

Important: Failing to register a higher-risk building by the required deadline is a criminal offence under the Act, punishable by an unlimited fine and/or up to two years in prison.

Fire Door Inspection: New Mandatory Frequencies

One of the most immediately practical changes brought in by the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 concerns fire door inspection in residential buildings. The new requirements set mandatory minimum inspection frequencies that responsible persons must comply with:

Buildings over 11 metres in height

Responsible persons must carry out — or arrange — checks of all fire doors in the common parts of the building at a minimum of every twelve months.

Buildings over 18 metres in height (HRBs)

Responsible persons must carry out checks of all fire doors in the common parts at a minimum of every three months. In addition, they must use best endeavours to carry out annual checks of flat entrance doors (i.e. the fire doors within individual dwellings that open onto common areas).

These requirements mark a significant shift from the previous position, where inspection frequencies were largely left to the judgement of the responsible person. Under the new regime, failure to carry out the required checks — and to document them — leaves building owners directly exposed to enforcement action.

What Does a Compliant Fire Door Inspection Look Like?

A compliant fire door check should assess a range of elements to confirm the door is performing as required. This includes:

• The condition of the door leaf, frame, and glazing (where present)
• The presence, condition, and continuity of intumescent strips and smoke seals
• The condition and function of hinges, ensuring the door is correctly hung
• The correct operation and condition of the door closer
• Correct gap tolerances — typically no more than 3mm around the door leaf
• The presence and legibility of certification labels confirming the door's fire rating
• The condition and operation of any hold-open devices

Checks should be recorded, and any defects identified should be remediated promptly. A door that is found to be non-compliant must be treated as an active fire risk until it is repaired or replaced.

The Broader Compliance Picture

Fire door inspection is just one piece of the compliance puzzle. Responsible persons must also ensure their buildings' fire stopping and compartmentation are intact — the physical barriers that prevent fire and smoke from spreading between floors, walls, and service penetrations. Over time, building works, maintenance activity, and general wear can compromise these barriers, often without anyone noticing until an inspection takes place.

The Building Safety Act significantly increases the risk of enforcement action for those who fail to maintain compliant buildings. The Building Safety Regulator has wide powers of investigation and prosecution, and the Act creates new routes for leaseholders and residents to raise concerns that must be formally addressed.

The bottom line: Compliance under the Building Safety Act is not a one-off exercise. It requires ongoing management, regular inspection, and a clear audit trail of all works carried out.

How Ultra-Fire Can Help

Ultra-Fire provides fire door installation, inspection, maintenance, and fire stopping services across London. We work with housing associations, local authorities, managing agents, and commercial property owners to help them meet their obligations under the Building Safety Act and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.

Our inspection programmes are structured around the mandatory frequencies set out in the legislation. We provide clear, documented reports after every inspection, giving responsible persons the audit trail they need. Where defects are identified, our team can carry out remediation works promptly — minimising the time any non-compliant door or fire stopping element remains in place.

If you manage a residential or commercial building in London and want to ensure you are meeting your obligations under the Building Safety Act, get in touch with the Ultra-Fire team today.

‍