How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?
Matt McAllen, AIFSM, CMIOSH
Last reviewed: June 2026 There's no fixed legal interval. The Fire Safety Order requires you to review the assessment "regularly," and immediately whenever something significant changes or there's reason to think it's no longer valid. In practice, an annual review is the widely accepted benchmark, with a full new assessment typically every two to five years depending on how complex and high-risk the building is.
What does the law actually say about reviewing it?
The law says "regularly" — and it deliberately doesn't give you a number. Article 9(3) of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to review the assessment regularly to keep it up to date, and particularly if there's reason to suspect it's no longer valid, or there's been a significant change — to the premises, the way it's used, or its fire safety measures.
The government confirms this directly: the Fire Safety Order doesn't specify a review frequency, only that reviews must be carried out regularly. So anyone who tells you the law mandates a yearly assessment, or that yours "expires" after three years, is repeating a myth — neither has ever been written into the legislation.
What that means in practice is that review frequency is a judgement, set by the risk of the building and how likely it is to change — not a date you can put in the diary and forget.
So how often should I actually review it?
For most premises, review at least once a year, with a full new assessment every two to five years depending on the risk. The annual benchmark isn't in the law, but it's the standard the fire sector, enforcing authorities and insurers all work to — and many insurance policies require an annual review for cover to stay valid.
The Fire Industry Association puts it plainly: for small, low-risk premises, a review by the responsible person might happen yearly, with a more thorough new assessment every two or three years. For higher-risk premises — sleeping accommodation, HMOs, complex or busy buildings — annual review is the norm, and the gap between full assessments shortens.
The government-backed guidance for purpose-built blocks of flats shows how this scales with risk: a low-rise, modern, lower-risk block might be reviewed every two years and reassessed every four; a higher-risk or taller block annually, with a new assessment every three; and the highest-risk buildings every year. The principle is the same everywhere — the higher the risk, the more often you look.
What counts as a "significant change"?
Anything that could change how a fire might start, spread, or be escaped from. The calendar is only half the duty — the law requires a review whenever something material changes, whatever the diary says. The common triggers are:
- Building works — alterations, extensions, conversions, or anything that changes the layout or escape routes.
- A change of use or occupancy — more people, different people, or people now sleeping on site or more vulnerable.
- New equipment, processes or storage — particularly anything involving heat, electrics, or flammable materials.
- Changes to the fire safety measures themselves — a new alarm system, altered fire doors, or works to external walls and flat entrance doors.
- A fire, a near-miss, or enforcement action — each of these means the existing assessment has been tested and found wanting.
After any of these, the review isn't optional and it isn't annual — it's now.
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Is a review the same as a new assessment?
No — and confusing the two is where people go wrong. Think of it as two levels of work. A review checks whether anything has changed since the last assessment, confirms the actions from it were actually carried out, and decides whether the conclusions still hold. A new assessment is the full exercise, done from scratch.
For a stable, low-risk premises, an annual review by the responsible person can often be a check rather than a rebuild — provided the original was properly recorded, so its reasoning can be re-examined. But where there have been real changes, or the premises is complex, the "review" effectively becomes a fresh assessment, and needs the same competence the original did. Where that line falls is the subject of a separate guide: can I write my own fire risk assessment?
This is also why recording matters so much. A review is only possible if the original assessment set out its reasoning clearly enough to check against. A tick-box with no narrative gives you nothing to review.
Does a fire risk assessment expire?
No — there's no legal expiry date. A fire risk assessment isn't a certificate with a date stamp on it. The "three-year validity" idea is one of the most persistent myths in fire safety, and it has never been set in law. What the law cares about is whether the assessment is still suitable and sufficient — in other words, whether it still reflects the building as it is today.
So an assessment doesn't go out of date because a year has passed; it goes out of date the moment the premises stops matching it. A two-year-old assessment for an unchanged small office may be perfectly current. A six-month-old one for a building that's just been converted is already out of date. Currency, not age, is the real test — which is exactly why the "review on change" duty matters more than any interval you might pencil in.
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People also ask
Is a fire risk assessment a legal requirement every year?
No. The law requires regular review and review on significant change, not a yearly assessment specifically. But an annual review is the widely accepted benchmark, and many insurers require one — so in practice, most premises are looked at every year.
How long is a fire risk assessment valid for?
There's no fixed validity period in law. An assessment stays valid for as long as it still reflects the premises accurately. It becomes out of date the moment a significant change occurs, however recently it was carried out.
Who is responsible for reviewing the fire risk assessment?
The responsible person — the employer, owner, landlord, occupier or whoever controls the premises. The duty to keep it under review sits with them, and can't be handed to tenants or a maintenance contractor.
How often should an HMO fire risk assessment be reviewed?
At least every twelve months, and sooner if anything significant changes — a new room, conversion works, or a change in occupancy. Sleeping accommodation is higher-risk, so the annual benchmark applies firmly, and licensing councils expect a current one.
Can I review the fire risk assessment myself?
For a stable, low-risk premises with no significant changes, a competent responsible person can carry out a straightforward annual review themselves. Where there have been real changes, or the building is complex, a competent assessor should do it. See can I write my own fire risk assessment? for where that line sits.
Due a review — or not sure?
Tell me about your premises and I'll tell you honestly whether it needs revisiting, and quote you a fixed price if it does. No upfront payment.