The short answer
- Doors from bedrooms, the kitchen and living rooms onto the shared escape route are usually fire doors with self-closers.
- Most London councils expect 30-minute doors (FD30), and many ask for smoke seals too (FD30S), especially on kitchens.
- Bathroom doors are not usually fire doors, unless your fire risk assessment says so.
- You must keep fire doors working, check them regularly and keep records for your licence.
- The landlord stays responsible, even when tenants cause the damage.
HMO Fire Door Requirements in Plain English
An HMO is a house where several people share a kitchen or bathroom. If a fire starts in one room, everyone shares the same way out. Fire doors keep that way out clear of smoke and flame for long enough to escape.
The law does not list every door in every house. Instead, your HMO fire door requirements come from three places: your council’s licence conditions, your fire risk assessment, and national guidance that councils follow. In London, most councils use the LACORS fire safety guide as their starting point.
In practice, that means three things. The right doors must be fire doors. Each fire door must close on its own and seal properly. And you must keep it that way, with records to prove it.
What Counts as an HMO for Fire Door Rules?
The type of HMO changes how strict the fire door rules are. A small shared house with two floors is treated differently from a large house on four floors.
| Type | Who lives there | Licence | Fire door focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smaller HMO | 3 or 4 people from 2 or more households, sharing facilities | Not mandatory. Many London boroughs need an additional licence | Doors onto the escape route, especially the kitchen |
| Licensable HMO | 5 or more people from 2 or more households, sharing facilities | Mandatory licence from the council | Every room door onto the escape route, with self-closers |
| Section 257 HMO | A building converted into flats that did not meet the 1991 Building Regulations, with fewer than two-thirds owner-occupied | Depends on the borough | Flat front doors and the shared stair |
Mandatory licensing has applied to houses with 5 or more people from 2 or more households since October 2018, whatever the number of floors. Check your own borough for additional or selective licensing.
Many London boroughs also run additional licensing for smaller HMOs. If your borough has one, its licence conditions will set fire door rules for houses with 3 or 4 tenants too.
Which HMO Doors Need to Be Fire Doors?
The general rule is simple. Any room where a fire could start, and that opens onto the shared escape route, needs a fire door. That keeps a fire in one room away from everyone else’s way out.
| Door | Usually a fire door? | Typical spec | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedroom onto the hall or landing | Yes | FD30, often FD30S, self-closing | Tenants sleep here, and fires often start in rooms |
| Kitchen | Yes | FD30S, self-closing | The most likely place for a fire to start |
| Shared living room | Yes | FD30, self-closing | Opens onto the escape route |
| Stair enclosure or lobby door | Yes | FD30S | Protects the only way out |
| Basement, cellar or meter cupboard | Often | FD30 | Hidden spaces where fire can grow |
| Bathroom or WC | Usually no | — | Low fire risk, unless your fire risk assessment says otherwise |
| Front entrance door | Depends | — | Often an exit, not a fire door. In a Section 257 HMO, flat front doors are fire doors |
Your council’s licence conditions and your fire risk assessment set the final spec. If they differ, follow the stricter one or ask the council.
Fire doors also matter on the right floors. A two-storey shared house may need fewer measures than a house on three or more storeys, where the way out is longer. Taller houses often need a fully protected stair, with every door onto it a fire door.
FD30 or FD30S: Which HMO Fire Door Rating?
FD30 means the door held back fire for 30 minutes in a lab test. The S in FD30S means it also has smoke seals, so cold smoke cannot creep round the edges. Smoke is what harms most people in a house fire, so smoke seals matter a great deal on an escape route.
Some fire risk assessments say FD30 while the council asks for FD30S. If that happens, fit FD30S. It meets both, and the extra cost is small.
Read more in our guide to FD30 vs FD30S vs FD60 fire doors.
Self-Closers, Locks and Other HMO Fire Door Parts
Every part of a fire door has to work for the door to do its job. In shared houses, these parts cause the most trouble.
Self-closers
Each fire door must close fully and latch on its own, from any open position. Set the closer so tenants can still open the door easily.
Tenant locks
Use fire-rated locks with a thumb-turn on the inside, so tenants can get out without a key. Never fit extra bolts, hasps or chains.
Seals
Intumescent strips swell in heat to seal the gap. Smoke seals stop cold smoke. Never paint over either.
Glass panels
Glass in a fire door must be fire rated, held with the right beads and seals. Kitchen doors with plain glass are a common fail.
Hinges
Fire doors usually need three fire-rated hinges with every screw in place. Loose hinges let the door drop and the gaps grow.
Signs
Most HMO fire doors need a “Fire door keep shut” sign. Doors on hold-open devices need an “automatic fire door” sign instead.
The Laws Behind HMO Fire Door Regulations
Several laws work together. You do not need to read them all, but it helps to know what each one does.
| Law or guide | What it means for your doors |
|---|---|
| Housing Act 2004 | Sets up HMO licensing and the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Fire is one of the hazards councils can act on. |
| Management of HMOs (England) Regulations 2006 | The manager must keep fire safety measures in good order and the escape route clear. |
| Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 | A fire risk assessment is needed for the shared parts, and fire doors must be maintained. |
| Fire Safety Act 2021 | Makes clear that flat front doors in buildings with two or more homes are covered by the fire risk assessment. |
| Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 | Residents must be told about fire doors. Buildings over 11 metres need fire door checks every three months, and yearly checks on flat front doors. |
| LACORS Housing Fire Safety guide (2008) | The guide most councils use to decide which doors need to be fire doors in each type of HMO. |
| Your HMO licence conditions | Can name fire door rules for your house. Breaking them is an offence. |
Failing these duties can be costly. Councils can issue civil penalties of up to £30,000 for many housing offences. Running an unlicensed HMO can also lead to a rent repayment order. Offences under the Fire Safety Order can bring an unlimited fine.
How Often HMO Fire Doors Need Checking
The law does not set one interval for every HMO. Your fire risk assessment and licence conditions should set it. Most landlords follow this pattern.
| Check | How often | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Quick walk-round: closers, wedges, damage | Every visit, or monthly | Landlord or agent |
| Full fire door inspection | Every 6 months is common | A fire door inspector |
| Check after a tenant moves out | At every change of tenant | Landlord, agent or inspector |
| Shared fire doors in a building over 11 metres | Every 3 months, by law | The responsible person |
| Flat front doors in a building over 11 metres | Every year, best endeavours | The responsible person |
Our HMO fire door inspections follow this routine and give you a report you can show the council.
Tenant Damage to HMO Fire Doors
Tenants remove closers, add their own locks and wedge doors open. But the law still holds the landlord or manager responsible for keeping fire doors working. A council will not accept “the tenant did it” as a reason for a failed door.
How to protect yourself
- Take dated photos of every fire door at check-in and check-out.
- Explain to tenants, in writing, why fire doors must stay shut and closers must stay on.
- Add a clause to the tenancy agreement, for example: “The tenant must not remove, disable or alter any fire door, closer, seal or sign, or wedge any fire door open.”
- Fix damage quickly, and keep the job record.
- Recover the cost from the deposit where the tenancy agreement allows.
Quick, fire-rated fixes are part of our HMO fire door repair service, with before and after photos for your file.
HMO Fire Door Records for Your Licence
Councils increasingly ask for proof, not promises. Good records make licence visits and renewals much easier.
- A current fire risk assessment that covers the fire doors.
- A door-by-door inspection or survey report, with photos.
- Proof of any repairs: what was done, when and with which parts.
- Labels, certificates or paperwork for new fire doors.
- A record of tenant information about fire doors.
See what a full report looks like in our sample fire door survey report. To keep all of this up to date for every house, see HMO fire door compliance.
Common HMO Fire Door Faults
These faults come up in shared houses again and again. Most are cheap to fix if you catch them early.
Closers removed or disconnected
Usually by tenants who find the door heavy.
Extra locks and bolt holes
Each hole is a weak spot that fire can pass through.
Painted or missing seals
Seals painted over cannot swell and close the gap.
Ordinary doors fitted by mistake
A smart new door that has no fire rating at all.
Our guide to common fire door defects shows how to spot each one.
What HMO Fire Door Work Costs
These guide prices cover the work most HMO landlords need. Prices are before VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Charged |
|---|---|---|
| Fire door inspection (under 50 doors) | £35–£65 | per door |
| Fire door survey with costed schedule | £40–£90 | per door |
| Overhead closer replaced | £120–£250 | per door |
| Intumescent and smoke seals renewed | £60–£140 | per door |
| FD30 internal doorset, supplied and fitted | £550–£950 | per door |
| Fire door leaf into a sound, matched frame | £350–£650 | per door |
Guide prices before VAT, last checked October 2026. Your quote is fixed after a visit or survey.
Six-bed HMO: inspection only
8 doors checked with a photo report.
£300–£600
Six-bed HMO: typical fixes
Two new closers, seals on two doors and one new kitchen doorset.
£910–£1,730
For a full breakdown, read how much a fire door survey costs in London.
Your HMO Fire Door Requirements Action Plan
- 1
Check your HMO type and licence
Find out if your house needs a mandatory or additional licence, and read its fire door conditions.
- 2
Survey every door
A costed HMO fire door survey tells you what each door needs before you spend anything.
- 3
Fix or replace what fails
Repair closers, seals and holes. Replace doors that cannot be saved with certified doorsets.
- 4
Keep checking and keep records
Inspect regularly, fix faults quickly and keep every report for the council.
HMO Fire Door Questions
Do all doors in an HMO need to be fire doors?
No. Doors from bedrooms, the kitchen and living rooms onto the shared escape route usually need to be fire doors. Bathroom doors usually do not. Your council’s licence conditions and your fire risk assessment set the final list, so check both before ordering doors.
Must bedroom doors in a shared house be fire doors?
In most HMOs, yes. A bedroom door that opens onto the shared hall or landing is usually expected to be a 30-minute fire door with a self-closer. In a very small house the rules can be lighter, so check your licence conditions.
Do HMO fire doors need self-closers?
Usually, yes. A fire door that stays open does not protect anyone. Most councils expect self-closers on doors onto the escape route. Set them so the door closes fully and latches, but is still easy for tenants to open.
Is FD30 or FD30S needed in an HMO?
Many councils accept FD30 for bedrooms and ask for FD30S on kitchens and stair doors. Some ask for FD30S everywhere. If your fire risk assessment and council disagree, fit FD30S, as it meets both. The extra cost of smoke seals is small.
Can I fit a door from a DIY store as an HMO fire door?
Only if it is a certified fire door with a label, fitted in a matching frame with the right hinges, seals and closer. A fire door is tested as a full set. A rated leaf hung in an old frame, with the wrong parts, may not perform as tested.
Can tenants have locks on HMO fire doors?
Yes, but use fire-rated locks with a thumb-turn inside, so tenants can get out quickly without a key. Tenants should never add their own bolts or chains. Each new hole weakens the door and can make it fail.
Is the landlord or the tenant responsible for HMO fire doors?
The landlord or the person managing the HMO. The Management of HMOs Regulations make the manager responsible for keeping fire safety measures in good order. That stays true even when tenants cause the damage.
How often do HMO fire doors need a full inspection?
Many landlords book a full inspection every six months, plus a check at each change of tenant. Your fire risk assessment and licence conditions may set a different interval. Buildings over 11 metres have legal minimums for shared and flat front doors.
What happens if HMO fire doors fail a council inspection?
The council will usually give you a list of works and a deadline. If the work is not done, it can issue a civil penalty of up to £30,000, take you to court or refuse your licence. Acting quickly and keeping records is the best defence.
Does a Section 257 HMO need fire doors?
Yes. In a converted block that counts as a Section 257 HMO, the flat front doors and the doors onto the shared stair are the key fire doors. They are usually expected to be self-closing FD30S doors.