When Should a Fire Risk Assessment Be Reviewed? Refurbishment, Changes and Incidents
Updated: 27 September 2026. A fire risk assessment is not a document that can simply be completed once and filed away. The responsible person must keep it up to date and review it when there is reason to believe it is no longer valid or when a significant change affects the premises, occupants or fire precautions.
There is no single legal rule saying every fire risk assessment must be renewed every 12 months. The correct review frequency depends on the building, complexity, risk and changes that have occurred. For landlords and managing agents, the most important question is therefore not “has one year passed?” but “has anything changed that could affect fire risk?”
When should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?
| Trigger | Why a review may be needed |
|---|---|
| Refurbishment or alteration | Changes to walls, doors, escape routes, services or layout can affect fire precautions. |
| Change in occupancy | More people, different residents or vulnerable occupants can change evacuation risk. |
| Change of use | A new use can introduce different ignition sources, fire loads or management arrangements. |
| Fire or significant incident | The assessment should be reviewed to identify lessons and whether existing controls remain adequate. |
| Failure of fire precautions | Alarm, emergency-lighting, fire-door or other system failures can affect the risk profile. |
| External wall changes | Works to cladding, balconies, insulation or other external-wall elements may require reassessment. |
| Reason to believe the FRA is no longer valid | Any new information or condition that undermines assumptions in the existing assessment should trigger review. |
Is there a legal annual fire risk assessment requirement?
No single annual review interval applies to every premises under the Fire Safety Order. Government guidance says the frequency of review varies according to the circumstances, complexity and risk of the premises.
The overarching requirement is that the assessment must be kept up to date. A review should be carried out where there is reason to suspect the existing assessment is no longer valid or where a significant change has occurred.
See the government’s guide for persons with duties under fire safety legislation.
Does refurbishment trigger a fire risk assessment review?
It can. Refurbishment often changes the building in ways that affect fire safety. Examples include:
- new walls or partitions
- altered escape routes
- changes to flat or room layouts
- replacement fire doors
- new service penetrations
- changes to ceilings or compartmentation
- new plant or electrical equipment
- changes to fire alarms or emergency lighting
- external wall or balcony works
If planned works affect the assumptions in the current assessment, the responsible person should review the FRA rather than wait for an arbitrary anniversary date.
Should the FRA be reviewed before or after refurbishment?
For significant projects, fire safety should be considered both before and after the works.
Before work starts, the responsible person should understand how temporary conditions, contractors, disabled systems, combustible materials and altered escape routes will be managed. After the project is complete, the FRA should reflect the building as it actually exists.
This is particularly important where refurbishment changes compartmentation, flat entrance doors, communal areas, alarm coverage or the external wall system.
What if the layout of the building changes?
Government guidance specifically identifies alterations to the building, including changes to internal layout, as a reason to review the fire risk assessment.
A new partition, locked door, converted room or relocated staircase can affect travel distance and escape. Even a relatively small alteration can be significant if it changes how people leave the premises during a fire.
What if the number or type of occupants changes?
A significant increase in occupancy can change evacuation times and increase demand on escape routes and fire precautions.
The presence of residents, employees or visitors who may need assistance to evacuate can also affect the assessment. A responsible person should review whether the existing fire strategy remains suitable for the people who actually use the premises.
Should an FRA be reviewed after a fire or false alarm incident?
A fire is a clear reason to review the assessment because it may reveal weaknesses in detection, compartmentation, evacuation, management or maintenance.
Repeated false alarms can also be useful evidence that a system or management process needs attention. While every isolated false alarm does not necessarily require a complete new assessment, recurring problems should not simply be ignored.
What if a fire-safety system fails?
Government guidance identifies failure of fire precautions as another reason to review risk. Examples include:
- fire alarm faults
- failed self-closing fire doors
- emergency-lighting failures
- defective smoke-control or ventilation systems
- sprinkler or suppression faults
- blocked or unusable escape routes
The immediate defect should be addressed, but the responsible person should also consider whether temporary controls or a wider FRA review are needed while the system is unavailable.
What about blocks of flats and external walls?
For blocks of flats, the fire risk assessment must consider the structure, common parts, flat entrance doors and external walls within the scope of the Fire Safety Order.
New government guidance published in September 2026 emphasises that an FRA should be reviewed regularly and kept up to date, and that a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW) may be needed where the wider assessment identifies the need for a specialist external-wall appraisal.
Read our 2026 Guide to Fire Risk Assessments for Blocks of Flats for more detail.
Does reviewing an FRA always mean starting from scratch?
No. A review means checking whether the existing assessment remains suitable and sufficient. If only limited details have changed, the existing assessment may be updated and revised rather than completely replaced.
Where major changes have occurred, or the assessment is old, incomplete or no longer reflects the premises, a more comprehensive reassessment may be appropriate.
What records should be kept after a review?
- date of review
- reason for the review
- changes to the building or occupancy
- new hazards identified
- revised fire-safety measures
- actions required and target dates
- evidence that actions were completed
- supporting reports such as fire-door inspections or FRAEWs where relevant
For managing agents and portfolio owners, this audit trail is important because it shows not only that an FRA exists, but that it is being actively maintained.
Fire risk assessment services in London
Primelinks Compliance helps landlords, freeholders, managing agents and property managers coordinate fire risk assessment requirements across London.
- See our Fire Risk Assessment service.
- Read our Fire Risk Assessment Guide.
- For blocks of flats, see our 2026 blocks-of-flats guide.
- For fire doors, see Fire Door Inspections for London Flats and HMOs.
- For multiple buildings, use Manage Multiple Properties.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?
There is no single universal statutory interval. It should be kept up to date and reviewed when it may no longer be valid or when a significant change occurs.
Do I need a new fire risk assessment after refurbishment?
Significant refurbishment should trigger a review. Depending on the scale of change, the existing FRA may be updated or a fuller reassessment may be appropriate.
Does a fire alarm fault trigger an FRA review?
A significant failure of fire precautions can be a reason to review the assessment and consider whether temporary or permanent control measures need to change.
Who is responsible for keeping the FRA up to date?
The responsible person under the Fire Safety Order must ensure a suitable and sufficient assessment is carried out, kept up to date and acted upon.
Has your building changed since the last FRA?
Use Get a Quote and provide the property address, building type, date of the current fire risk assessment and details of any refurbishment, occupancy or fire-safety changes.
This article provides general information and is not fire-engineering or legal advice. The appropriate review scope depends on the premises, changes made and fire risk.
