Do I need a fire door for my HMO?

The legal answer in one paragraph

If your property meets the legal definition of an HMO in England (at least three tenants forming more than one household, sharing kitchen, bathroom or toilet facilities), the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies. That Order requires the "responsible person" — usually the landlord or managing agent — to maintain general fire precautions, which in practice means fire-resisting doors on rooms that open onto escape routes. For almost every London HMO, that means FD30S (30-minute fire-resisting, with smoke seals) as the minimum standard.

Where the fire doors actually go

This is where most landlords trip up. Councils don't just want a fire door at the front — they want them at every interface between a habitable room and the escape route. In a typical 5-bed converted HMO that means:

• Every bedroom door opening onto the shared hallway or staircase.
• The kitchen door. Kitchens carry a higher fire load (ovens, hobs, electrics) and almost always need an FD30S.
• Utility / boiler / electrical cupboards opening onto the escape route.
• The flat-entrance door if the HMO is a flat off a communal corridor. This is often the door that gets missed when landlords convert single flats into HMOs. See our dedicated flat entrance fire doors page for the spec councils accept.
• Loft-conversion doors on properties with more than two storeys above ground level — additional protection often applies.

Bathrooms, en-suites and WCs that open onto the escape route do not usually need fire doors because they're low fire-load rooms — but your fire risk assessment is the final word on this. If in doubt, send photos of your floor plan and we'll mark up where doors are required.

FD30 or FD60 — which one do I need?

For HMOs under 11 metres in height (essentially any HMO that isn't in a tower block), FD30S is the standard. The "S" matters — it means the door is fitted with smoke seals as well as intumescent strips. A bare FD30 without smoke seals is not compliant for an HMO escape route.

FD60 is required for:

• High-rise residential buildings over 11 metres above ground level (post-Grenfell guidance is now strict on this).
• Plant rooms, electrical intake rooms or anything councils class as a "higher-risk room" within an HMO.
• Certain commercial-residential mixed-use buildings.

For a deeper comparison see FD30 vs FD60 fire doors, or jump to the dedicated FD30 fire doors London and FD60 fire doors London service pages.

The 2025 inspection rule London landlords missed

The inspection covers door gaps, seal condition, closer function, hinge wear, and damage. It must be logged and signed. If you sell the property, the buyer's solicitor will ask for the log — missing logs are now causing transactions to stall.

If you don't already have an inspection routine, see our fire door inspection service — we provide the written report councils accept.

What councils want to see

From experience across 32 London boroughs, here's what licensing officers actually ask for during an HMO inspection — beyond just "are there fire doors?"

1. A door certificate for each fire door, naming the manufacturer, the BWF-Certifire or BM TRADA test reference, and the FD rating (FD30S or FD60).
2. An installation record showing date, fitter, ironmongery used (hinges, closer, strips, seals — all CE/UKCA marked and rated to the door).
3. Photographs of each installed door showing the gap, hinges, intumescent strips and seals visible.
4. The quarterly inspection log (see above).
5. The fire risk assessment the property's compliance is based on, signed by a competent person.

Doorz London provides items 1–3 as part of every HMO installation. We deliver the documentation digitally — usually within 48 hours of the job completing.

What it costs (real London pricing, May 2026)

Pricing varies by door spec, ironmongery, and access (top-floor HMO with no lift will be more than ground floor). But to give you a realistic baseline:

• FD30S supply + fit, per door: £390–£560 for a standard size in white primer or oak veneer.
• Flat-entrance FD30S certified door set (frame + door + ironmongery, fitted): £1,100–£1,650.
• Six-bed HMO door package (six FD30S internal + one flat-entrance + documentation): typically £3,200–£4,400 supply and fit.

Anyone quoting you significantly below this is either fitting non-certified doors, skipping smoke seals, or skipping the documentation. All three will fail a council inspection. We always show the trade invoice — see the fire door cost London page for a full breakdown.

Common questions

Does my single tenancy converted into an HMO need fire doors?

Yes. The moment a property goes from single tenancy to HMO (three or more unrelated people sharing facilities), the Fire Safety Order applies. Even if the council hasn't licensed it as an HMO yet, the fire-safety duty is automatic.

Can I fit an FD30 door myself if I'm a competent landlord?

Technically, the law doesn't require a certified installer — but the fit must be to the UK code of practice with all ironmongery rated to the door. In practice, councils will reject self-fitted doors that don't have an installation record from a competent person. We'd advise against fitting them yourself.

What if my HMO already has solid timber doors — do they count?

No. A solid timber door that hasn't been tested and certified as FD30 is not a fire door. The certification is what matters, not the thickness. Councils will require it to be replaced.

How long does a six-bed HMO door installation take?

One to two working days for a typical package. We aim to keep tenants in-place where possible by doing all doors in one continuous visit. Documentation follows within 48 hours.

How Doorz London handles HMO door packages

1. Send photos and postcode. WhatsApp is fastest. Tell us how many bedrooms and whether it's already licensed.
2. We quote a price band within the hour. If the property needs a survey (top-floor, listed building, awkward access), we book that next.
3. Free on-site survey for HMOs. K. Sidhu measures each opening and checks frame condition before we order doors.
4. Fixed price + ordering. You see the trade invoice and the fitting fee separately. Doors typically arrive within 7–10 working days.
5. Installation to the current UK code of practice. Three CE/UKCA hinges, certified intumescent strips, smoke seals, closer where required, frame made good for a clean finish.
6. Documentation pack within 48 hours. Certificates, installation record, photographs — everything you'll hand the council.