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Free templates, certificates, assessments and tools are available throughout the site. Download fire risk assessment templates to PAS 79-1:2020 and BS 9792:2025, fire door inspection reports, fire safety logbooks, HMO and holiday let audits, and engineer service sheets; complete commissioning, compliance, annual inspection and weekly test certificates; and use battery, loop load, detector spacing and resistor calculators. Whether you are a landlord, facilities manager, responsible person, fire engineer or fire protection company, you will find practical, standards-aligned documents you can put to work straight away.
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Are You Compliant? Do You Know Your Responsibilities as a Responsible Person?
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, every non-domestic premises in England and Wales must have a named Responsible Person — and the duty to keep people safe rests with them, not with the fire safety company they appoint.
Fire Risk Assessment
Make sure a suitable and sufficient risk assessment is carried out, recorded in writing, and reviewed regularly — commercial premises to PAS 79-1:2020, residential and HMOs to BS 9792:2025.
Fire Safety Arrangements
Put a fire safety policy and emergency plan in place, covering means of escape, detection and warning, signage, and arrangements for vulnerable people on the premises.
Equipment & Maintenance
Keep systems in effective working order: fire alarms (BS 5839-1:2025), emergency lighting (BS 5266-1:2025), extinguishers (BS 5306) and fire doors, serviced and tested by competent persons.
Training & Drills
Inform, instruct and train staff on what to do in a fire, appoint and brief fire marshals, and run drills often enough to prove the plan actually works.
Records & Evidence
Retain risk assessments, log books, service and test certificates, and training records — they are the evidence of compliance an inspecting officer will ask for first.
Cooperate & Review
Work with other duty holders who share the premises, and review the assessment whenever occupancy, layout, or the use of the building changes.
Non-compliance carries real consequences
The Fire and Rescue Service can serve enforcement or prohibition notices, restrict the use of your premises, and in the most serious cases prosecute. Conviction can mean an unlimited fine and up to two years' imprisonment. Where an assessment is missing or out of date, the burden falls on you as the Responsible Person — our fire safety audits review your arrangements against the current legislation and British Standards, and give you a clear, prioritised action plan.
Who Is Responsible for Fire Alarms in Commercial Properties?
A plain-English guide to who the law holds responsible for fire alarms in non-domestic premises — and what they must do.
Registered fire safety companiesThe Legal Framework: The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The primary piece of legislation governing fire safety in non-domestic premises in England and Wales is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO). It was significantly strengthened by the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Building Safety Act 2022.
The RRO places fire safety duties on the "responsible person" — a legally defined role. Understanding who this is in your premises is the starting point for understanding who is responsible for fire alarms.
"It is the duty of the responsible person to take such general fire precautions as will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of any of his employees and any other relevant persons on the premises."
Who Is the "Responsible Person"?
There can be more than one responsible person for the same premises — for example, a landlord (responsible for common areas) and a tenant (responsible for their demised space). Where there are multiple responsible persons, they must co-operate and co-ordinate.
The employer
If the premises is a workplace, the employer is always a responsible person, regardless of whether they own the building.
The building owner
Particularly for common areas of multi-occupied buildings, the freeholder has duties under the Fire Safety Act 2021 and Building Safety Act 2022.
The occupier / tenant
Any person with control of part of the premises can be a responsible person for that part — even if not the owner.
A managing agent
Where a managing agent is appointed to control the building, they may take on responsible person duties — this should be documented in writing.
Landlord vs Tenant: Who Is Responsible?
This is one of the most frequently misunderstood areas of commercial fire safety. The answer depends on the lease arrangement:
Single-let commercial building
The tenant (as employer and person in control of the premises) is typically the responsible person. The landlord retains responsibility for common areas, structural fire safety, and any plant rooms.
Multi-let building with common areas
The landlord or managing agent is responsible for common areas, lifts, stairwells, plant rooms, and the building fabric. Each tenant is responsible for their own demised space. Both must co-operate.
Empty / vacant premises
The building owner remains the responsible person for a vacant commercial property and must maintain fire safety measures even without an occupier.
HMOs and residential blocks
Under the Fire Safety Act 2021, the responsible person for a multi-occupied residential building must assess and manage the risk from flat entrance doors, external walls, and common areas — even where individual flats are privately owned.
Tip: The lease should define fire safety responsibilities clearly. If it doesn't — or if you're unsure — seek legal advice and commission a fire risk assessment that makes responsibilities explicit.
What Are the Responsible Person's Duties Regarding Fire Alarms?
Carry out or commission a fire risk assessment
Must be reviewed regularly and whenever significant changes are made to the premises, occupancy, or processes.
Implement and maintain fire safety measures
This includes ensuring a suitable fire alarm system is installed, maintained, and regularly tested.
Arrange fire alarm maintenance to BS 5839-1:2025
Two six-monthly service visits per year by a competent engineer are the minimum requirement.
Keep records
Weekly tests, service visits, faults, and activations must all be recorded in the system log and retained.
Ensure staff can raise the alarm and evacuate
Adequate training and a tested evacuation plan must be in place for all occupants.
Review arrangements after incidents
Any fire alarm activation — real or false — must be investigated and recorded.
What Happens If Duties Are Ignored?
Serious Consequences for Non-Compliance
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Enforcement notice — requiring specific improvements within a set timeframe
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Alterations notice — requiring approval before any changes are made to the premises
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Prohibition notice — immediate closure of all or part of the building
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Prosecution — unlimited fines and up to two years' imprisonment for serious breaches
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Civil liability — personal injury or death claims from employees or members of the public
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Insurance invalidation — failure to maintain fire safety systems may void your insurance
Standards Referenced
Fire Alarm & Detection
Fire Risk Assessment
Fire Engineering & Strategy
Emergency Lighting & Signage
Fire Safety Signs
Fire Doors & Ironmongery
Fire Extinguishers
Sprinklers & Suppression
Fire Stopping & Reaction to Fire
Wet & Dry Risers
Legislation Referenced
Fire Safety Guidance for Every Premises
Helpful guidance on every aspect of UK fire safety — from alarm systems and risk assessments to extinguishers, fire doors, and emergency lighting.
Fire safety guidance for UK premises
FireSafe24 is an online resource providing helpful guidance on all aspects of fire safety for UK businesses, landlords, housing providers, and property managers.
We don't sell fire safety services. We help you understand what the law requires, what the relevant British Standards say, and what good fire safety practice looks like — so you can make informed decisions and work confidently with your fire safety professionals.
Always Accessible
All guidance is available to access at any time
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Aligned to current standards including BS 5839-1:2025 & BS 9792:2025
Helpful guidance
Written for non-specialists — no jargon
UK Standards
Covers legislation, British Standards, and best practice
Assess Your Knowledge
Test your understanding of UK fire safety standards with 5 questions. Real explanations included.
Under BS 5839-1:2025, how often must a fire alarm system be serviced by a competent engineer?
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