Fire Risk Assessment South London | NICEIC And NAPIT Accredited
If something’s changed at your property since your last fire risk assessment a new tenant, a replaced fire door, a converted loft, a different use for the ground floor the assessment you are relying on may no longer reflect reality. And if it does not, technically, you are not compliant. That’s not scaremongering; it is how the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 actually works.
We’re Liviosiv a NICEIC and NAPIT-accredited electrical and fire safety company carrying out fire risk assessments across South London. We look at your building the way an inspector would, before an inspector has to.
What Is a Fire Risk Assessment?
A fire risk assessment is a structured, on-site review that identifies fire hazards, works out who’s most at risk from them, and sets out exactly what needs to change to bring that risk down to an acceptable level. It looks at ignition sources, what could fuel a fire, how people would actually escape, the condition of fire doors, and whether alarm and detection systems would do their job. What you get isn’t a list of problems, it is a prioritised action plan you can actually work through.
Who Is Responsible for Arranging One?
The law calls you the “responsible person” and it’s a broader net than most people expect. Landlord, employer, managing agent, freeholder: if you have any meaningful control over a building, that duty is yours, whether or not anyone’s ever told you so directly.
Why It is a Legal Requirement in South London: Walk from a Victorian conversion in Dulwich to a purpose-built block in Croydon and you’ll find two completely different fire risk profiles, different construction, different escape routes, different history of alterations. What does not change between them is the legal duty to have that risk properly assessed.
Penalties for Non-Compliance: This isn not a box-ticking exercise. Under current guidance, serious breaches of fire safety law can result in unlimited fines and up to two years’ imprisonment the previous statutory cap was removed under the Building Safety Act 2022. Minor breaches can still mean fines of up to £5,000. And separately from any of that: if a fire happens and your paperwork isn’t in order, your insurer has grounds to walk away from the claim entirely.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Explained: Everything above traces back to one piece of legislation: the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. It’s the reason “responsible person” isn’t just a phrase it is a legal role with real duties attached, including keeping your assessment current, not just completed once and filed away.
FRA Residential Cost
Services
Prices
Studio
£99
1-3 Bedroom
£179
4-6 Bedroom
£209
Communal Area
£159
FRA Commercial Cost
Services
Prices
Upto 3 Floor
£159
3-5 Floor
£279
5-10 Floor
£319
Whole Building
One Call
Geographical Breakdown of London’s Districts
Types of Fire Risk Assessment: Which Do You Need?
Here’s where most landlords get caught out. It’s not that they skip the assessment, it’s that they get talked into the wrong type, or nobody explains there even are different types. We’ll always tell you which level your property genuinely needs, not which one’s quickest for us to deliver.
Type 1 Fire Risk Assessment: Non-Destructive Communal Areas
Covers the shared spaces, corridors, stairwells, entrances, plant rooms, without going into individual flats or opening anything up. This is the right starting point for most residential blocks.
Type 2 Fire Risk Assessment: Communal Areas + Sample of Flats
Everything a Type 1 covers, plus a non-destructive look inside a sample of individual flats. We use this when there’s a genuine question over how well compartmentation and fire doors are performing at flat level.
Type 3 & Type 4: Destructive Inspections Explained
These involve physically opening up parts of the building, checking behind walls and floors for cavity barriers and construction quality that can’t be verified any other way. We’d only recommend this where a Type 1 or Type 2 has raised a specific concern, or where a building’s construction history is genuinely unclear.
Type 1–4 Comparison Table
Type | Scope | Access to Flats | Destructive Inspection | Typical Use Case |
Type 1 | Communal areas only | No | No | Most residential blocks, shared spaces |
Type 2 | Communal areas + sample of flats | Yes (non-destructive) | No | Where flat-level compartmentation needs checking |
Type 3 | Communal areas + destructive checks | Sometimes | Yes | Concerns over hidden construction risk |
Type 4 | Full destructive inspection | Yes | Yes | Complex or high-risk buildings, post-Type 1/2 findings |
Which Type Applies to HMOs?
Most licensed HMOs need at least a Type 1. Where the fire doors between individual lettings are doing real work — which in most HMOs, they are — we’ll often recommend stepping up to a Type 2. Our Fire Door Survey London service can run alongside this.
Which Type Applies to Purpose-Built Blocks?
Usually a Type 1 of the communal areas is the right entry point. If the building’s construction or compartmentation history is murky common in older or converted stock, we’ll flag whether a Type 2 or Type 3 makes more sense before you commit to either.
Our Fire Risk Assessment Process in South London
1. Book Your Assessment
Getting started is simple. Contact our team with your property details, and we’ll recommend the most suitable type of Fire Risk Assessment in South London based on your building’s size, layout, occupancy, and intended use. You’ll receive a clear quotation with no hidden costs.
2. Comprehensive On-Site Inspection
One of our qualified fire risk assessors will carry out a thorough inspection of your property. During the visit, we assess all relevant fire safety measures, including:
- Means of escape and escape routes
- Fire doors and compartmentation
- Fire detection and alarm systems
- Emergency lighting
- Fire extinguishers and firefighting equipment
- General fire safety management and housekeeping
Our inspections are conducted efficiently while minimising disruption to residents, staff, or visitors.
3. Detailed Fire Risk Assessment Report
Following the inspection, you’ll receive a comprehensive PAS 79-compliant report within 24–48 hours. The report includes:
- Identified fire hazards and risks
- Photographic evidence
- Risk ratings and legal compliance findings
- Prioritised action plan
- Practical recommendations to improve fire safety
4. Ongoing Compliance & Remedial Support
If remedial work is required, our experienced engineers can help you achieve compliance through services such as fire door inspections and remedial works, fire alarm installation and servicing, emergency lighting testing, fire extinguisher servicing, and other fire safety solutions. We’ll also advise when your next Fire Risk Assessment should be completed to help you remain compliant with UK fire safety legislation.
Fire Risk Assessment Coverage Across South London
South West London Areas We Cover
We provide fire risk assessments, EICRs, gas safety certificates, EPCs, PAT testing, and other property compliance services throughout South West London, including Putney (SW15), Wandsworth (SW18), Clapham Junction (SW11), Battersea (SW11), Balham (SW12), Tooting (SW17), Earlsfield (SW18), Southfields (SW18), Wimbledon (SW19), Raynes Park (SW20), Morden (SM4), Colliers Wood (SW19), Mitcham (CR4), Streatham (SW16), Norbury (SW16), Richmond (TW9, TW10), Twickenham (TW1, TW2), Teddington (TW11), Hampton (TW12), Kingston upon Thames (KT1, KT2), Surbiton (KT5, KT6), and New Malden (KT3).
South London Areas We Cover
Our qualified engineers also serve properties across South London, covering Brixton (SW2, SW9), Clapham (SW4), Stockwell (SW8, SW9), Vauxhall (SE11, SW8), Kennington (SE11), Elephant & Castle (SE1, SE17), Camberwell (SE5), Peckham (SE15), Dulwich (SE21, SE22), Herne Hill (SE24), Crystal Palace (SE19), West Norwood (SE27), Upper Norwood (SE19), South Norwood (SE25), Thornton Heath (CR7), Croydon (CR0, CR2, CR5, CR8), Addiscombe (CR0), Shirley (CR0), and Selhurst (CR0).
South East London Areas We Cover
We carry out residential and commercial fire risk assessments throughout South East London, including Deptford (SE8), New Cross (SE14), Brockley (SE4), Lewisham (SE13), Catford (SE6), Hither Green (SE13), Blackheath (SE3), Greenwich (SE10), Eltham (SE9), Woolwich (SE18), Plumstead (SE18), Abbey Wood (SE2), Thamesmead (SE28), Bexleyheath (DA6, DA7), Welling (DA16), Sidcup (DA14, DA15), Chislehurst (BR7), Bromley (BR1, BR2), Beckenham (BR3), Orpington (BR5, BR6), Penge (SE20), Anerley (SE20), and Grove Park (SE12).
Property Types We Assess
HMOs & Rental Properties: From a single self-contained let to a fully licensed HMO with six tenants and a shared kitchen, we understand the compliance thresholds that actually apply to your specific setup, not a generic version of “landlord rules.”
Purpose-Built Blocks & Converted Buildings: South London’s housing stock is a genuine mix, Victorian terraces converted decades ago sit streets away from new-build developments with entirely different fire strategies. We adjust our approach to what’s actually in front of us.
Commercial & Mixed-Use Premises: Retail units with flats above, offices, mixed-use developments, each one carries its own fire safety obligations depending on how the space is actually used, not just what it’s zoned as.
Standards & Legislation We Work To
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The foundational legislation behind every fire risk assessment in England and Wales, and the source of the “responsible person” duty. Read the full order at legislation.gov.uk
Fire Safety Act 2021 & Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
These extended the FSO’s reach to cover external walls, flat entrance doors, and communal fire door checks explicitly — closing gaps that used to leave real ambiguity. See the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 on gov.uk
Building Safety Act 2022 & PEEPs Requirements
Brought in stronger obligations for higher-risk buildings, including Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for residents who’d need help to get out. Building Safety Act 2022 on legislation.gov.uk
BS 9991 and PAS 79 Explained
BS 9991 governs fire safety in the design and management of residential buildings; PAS 79 is the recognised methodology for how a fire risk assessment itself should be carried out. Both sit behind every assessment we deliver — not just referenced, actually followed.
Book Your South London Fire Risk Assessment
Whatever is prompting this a licence renewal, an insurer’s request, a nagging feeling your last assessment does not reflect your building anymore the fix is the same: get someone who actually knows the difference between a Type 1 and a Type 3 to come and look properly. Get in touch for a fixed quote and a clear timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How Often Do I Need a Fire Risk Assessment?
There’s no fixed legal interval, but “regularly reviewed” in practice means annually for most buildings, and immediately after any significant change to layout, use, or occupancy. Waiting until it feels due is usually waiting too long.
What Happens If I Don't Have One?
You’re in breach of a legal duty, full stop. That opens the door to enforcement action from your local fire and rescue authority, fines that are now uncapped for serious breaches (with imprisonment possible), and, often the part people forget, a real chance your insurer refuses to pay out after a fire if your paperwork wasn’t in order.
Do I Need One for a Single Let, or Only HMOs/Blocks?
The legal duty covers the shared parts of any building with two or more domestic premises, plus all non-domestic premises. A single self-contained let with no shared areas usually sits outside the FSO, but “usually” is doing some work in that sentence, so get in touch if you’re not certain.
How Long Does an Assessment Take?
Depends on the building, but most residential communal assessments take around [X hours] on-site, with your written report landing within [X working days] after that.
Can You Help with Remedial Fire Door or Escape Route Work?
Yes — and we’d rather fix what we find than just hand you a list. Our Fire Door Survey, Fire Door Certificate, and Fire Door Installation services pick up exactly where the assessment leaves off.
Can I do my own fire risk assessment?
The law allows a “competent person” to carry out their own assessment, but for anything beyond a very small, simple building, an accredited professional assessor is strongly recommended to ensure the assessment is genuinely suitable and sufficient. For further official guidance, see the London Fire Brigade’s fire safety advice.
Accrediations
contact@liviosiv.co
