Step 1
Identify the responsible person and the finding
Confirm who manages fire safety for the building, whether it is above 11 metres, and what the check, formal inspection report or FRA action actually says about your door.
Leaseholder Guide — England
Leaseholder Flat Entrance Door Replacement: Who Decides and Who Pays
When a flat entrance fire door is found to be defective, the practical question is usually who decides what happens to it and who pays. This guide sets out a sensible order of steps for leaseholders and managers in England. It is general information, not legal advice.
Two Separate Questions
Fire safety duties and repair liability are related but they are not the same thing. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 apply to buildings in England with two or more domestic premises and place duties on the responsible person — typically the freeholder, a managing agent or a residents' management company. In buildings above 11 metres, that includes using best endeavours to check flat entrance doors at least every 12 months and keeping a record of attempts to gain access.
Those duties do not automatically decide who pays. GOV.UK explains that the lease says whether the leaseholder or the landlord is responsible for repairs, whether permission is needed for alterations and how contributions to maintenance are organised. The door leaf, frame and ironmongery may even fall on different sides of that line. For how the wider rules fit together, see fire door regulations explained.
A Practical Decision Path
Working through these steps in order avoids most disputes and wasted work.
Step 2
Read the relevant lease clauses
Look at the demise (what is included in your flat), the repairing covenants, the alterations clause and the service charge provisions. Note whether the door and frame are mentioned expressly.
Step 3
Get a written proposed scope
Ask for the proposed action — repair, upgrade or replacement — in writing, with the reason and any supporting evidence such as the report extract and door reference.
Step 4
Clarify permission, access and payment route
Agree whether consent is needed, how access will be arranged, and whether the cost is recovered through the service charge (with any consultation) or paid directly.
Step 5
Agree competent works and records
Agree who carries out the work, what the door specification is, and what records — product evidence, installation notes, photographs — will be passed to the responsible person afterwards.
If You Fitted Or Changed The Door Yourself
Doors replaced by a previous or current leaseholder are a common source of findings: a non-fire-rated door, a rated leaf in an unsuitable frame, added letterplates or spyholes, or a closer that was removed. Where the lease made the door your responsibility, or you altered it without consent, you may be asked to put it right.
Keep any paperwork you have from the original installation. Evidence of the product and how it was fitted may help show whether repair is feasible or replacement is needed. Before commissioning new work, share the proposed specification with the responsible person so it can be accepted rather than redone.
Access And Urgent Defects
Checks and works on a flat entrance door need access from inside the flat. The lease normally contains access terms, and the responsible person must record the steps taken where access was not granted. Offering a convenient appointment usually resolves this quickly.
If a door no longer closes, has a broken closer or a damaged leaf, report it in writing straight away. Responsibility questions can be worked through in parallel; they should not delay making a serious defect safe. Do not remove closers, wedge the door or fit unapproved hardware in the meantime.
Service Charges And Section 20
Where replacement is carried out by the landlord and recovered through the service charge, the lease sets out how the charge is organised. GOV.UK states that leaseholders have the right to be consulted where they would pay more than £250 for planned work, or more than £100 a year for work and services lasting more than 12 months — known as Section 20 consultation. Charges may be challenged in some circumstances.
Whether a particular door programme triggers consultation depends on how it is structured and charged. That is a question for the managing agent, LEASE or a solicitor, not for the contractor.
Questions To Ask Before You Pay
- Which clause of the lease makes this door my responsibility?
- What exactly did the check or report find, and for which door reference?
- Is repair being considered, or has replacement been assumed?
- What door specification and rating does the responsible person require?
- Will the cost go through the service charge, and is consultation required?
- What records will I and the responsible person receive when the work is complete?
When To Get Independent Advice
If the lease is unclear, you disagree with the finding, the proposed charge seems disproportionate or consultation appears to have been missed, get advice before paying or signing anything. The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) gives free initial guidance on leasehold matters, and a solicitor can advise on your specific lease.
For the statutory roles rather than payment or consent, see who is responsible for fire doors. Ownership of the door does not by itself settle every building-level fire safety duty.
Inspection Report Versus Pre-Works Assessment
Formal fire door inspections and written reports are arranged through an external specialist inspection partner. Parsec Fire Doors carries out the resulting repair, remedial and replacement work, and can work from an existing report or FRA action list. A Parsec pre-works site assessment confirms measurements, access and the proposed remedy for a quotation; it is not a formal inspection report and does not decide lease responsibility.
Sources
Home Office: Check your fire safety responsibilities under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (accessed 30 September 2026)
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 10 (fire doors) (accessed 30 September 2026)
GOV.UK: Leasehold property — leaseholder rights and responsibilities (accessed 30 September 2026)
GOV.UK: Leasehold property — service charges and other expenses (accessed 30 September 2026)
Related Pages
The service, cost and technical pages that sit alongside this guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Agreed The Scope? Get The Works Priced
Send the report extract or action list, the door reference and photographs. We will review the scope and provide a written quotation for the repair or replacement works.