Getting HMO fire doors right in East Sussex
We provide HMO fire doors across East Sussex, covering 10 towns and 34 postcode districts, including Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings.
For HMO landlords in East Sussex, fire door work often follows a licence application or a council inspection. Closers we fit in East Sussex HMOs are set to close and latch without slamming, so tenants are less tempted to disconnect them.
Managing agents, landlords, schools, care providers, businesses and homeowners in East Sussex can all use one team for survey, supply, installation and evidence. We plan work around occupants and hand over a record for every door.
What councils typically look for
Licensing and housing officers usually look at bedroom doors, kitchen doors and any doors onto the escape stair. Common requirements include 30-minute doors, self-closers, smoke seals and well-fitted frames. Requirements vary with the size and layout of the HMO and the local authority's approach; our HMO fire door guide sets out the typical expectations.
Rules and responsibilities in East Sussex
The rules that apply to fire doors in East Sussex are England's. The responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 must keep fire doors in non-domestic premises and the common parts of flats in working order; the Fire Safety Act 2021 confirmed that this includes flat entrance doors onto common parts.
Where a East Sussex block is above 11 metres, regulation 10 of the 2022 regulations means communal doors are checked every three months and flat entrance doors annually on a best-endeavours basis. Replacement doors must also satisfy the Building Regulations, with Approved Document B as the guidance most building control bodies work from.
What happens after you enquire
- Review the council's requirements or schedule of works
- Survey each door and frame
- Agree specification and tenant access
- Fit doors, seals, closers and locks
- Test every door closes and latches
- Hand over evidence for the council
Guide prices in East Sussex
If you need a budget figure first, the guide for HMO fire doors is from around £350 per door in a volume HMO job, up to £900 where frames are replaced, ex VAT. We firm that up after a survey, pricing each door separately so you can see where the money goes.
HMO fire doors questions
Do you provide HMO fire doors across East Sussex?
Yes. We cover all of East Sussex, including Brighton and Eastbourne. Surveys and written quotes are free.
Do HMO fire doors need closers?
In many HMOs, yes, especially on bedroom and kitchen doors. Your council's schedule of works will say which doors need them.
Can tenants lock their bedroom doors?
Yes, but they must be able to get out without a key, so thumb-turn locks on the inside are common. The lock must be covered by the door's evidence.