To manage fire safety, we:

• carry out regular Fire Risk Assessments (FRAs) in communal spaces - we can advise you on where you can get a copy of the FRA for your area
• contact you if we identify any potential risks to let you know what you should do about storing personal items
• inspect shared spaces
• tell you what to do in the event of a fire and whether your block has a stay put policy
• keep a record of who needs support in the event of a fire and keep a profile of the people in the area

Fire doors

If you live in a flat which opens off to an internal stairwell or corridor, then your front door must be a fire door with at least 30 minutes fire resistance. It must be closed to be effective.

We regularly inspect every fire door, smoke alarms and other fire safety equipment.

Fire doors are really important for fire protection - you can find out more on the Fire door safety week website.

Do not leave your fire door wedged or propped open, it puts others at risk and is against the law.

If your fire door is in poor condition, too heavy to open or damaged, please call us on 0800 028 1870.

Personal items in shared areas

Some personal items such as pictures and door mats are allowed in shared areas, but we will ask you to remove anything else in the corridors.

Mobility scooters

As mobility scooters can be a fire hazard and could block fire exits, we expect you to keep them in your own home or use purpose-built storage.

If you do not remove your scooter from a shared area, you will be in breach of your tenancy agreement and we may take further action.

If you rely on a mobility scooter, we can help you contact an occupational therapist or a homes support officer to see if other help is available.

What you can do to help prevent a fire

There are things you can do to help prevent a fire:

• do not smoke in shared areas - it is illegal to do so
• never store anything in a shared area, or use a shared area to get rid of something - if you need help removing something, please call us on 0800 028 1870
• do not store anything that could catch fire in your garage or on your balcony
• never block fire exit routes or prop open fire doors
• tell us if your needs change and whether you would need help if a fire happened within your home or communal area
• if there is a fire, follow the steps on the fire action notices in your block
• report any damage to fire safety equipment to us

Fire safety in high rise buildings

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has a Your Home, Your Safety campaign to let residents of high-rise buildings (HRBs) in England know about their rights, and give some reassurance about how fire and structure safety risks are being managed.

Visit for the campaign page above for more information if you live in one of our HRBs:

• Drake Court
• Grenville Court
• Nelson Court
• Rodney Court
• Sterte Court

For more information, or if you have any questions or concerns about building safety in our high-rise buildings, Independent Senior Living Schemes, or low-rise buildings, please call us on 0800 028 1870.