# Does my business need a fire risk assessment?

Start with the risks in your building, the people using it and who is responsible for each part.

Jurisdiction: England, Wales
Source check: 2026-11-03. Editorial status: source-checked draft; specialist sign-off pending.

## Who this covers
Employers and people with control of non-domestic premises, including landlords and managing agents. Shared premises can have more than one responsible person.

## The requirement
The responsible person must assess fire risks, keep a written record, maintain suitable fire precautions and plan for emergencies. Staff need relevant information and training.

## Practical steps
- Identify the responsible person and agree responsibilities for shared areas.
- Check that the written assessment reflects the building and everyone who uses it.
- Give each action an owner and check that it has been completed.

## Common mistake
Buying a report does not complete your duties. Act on its findings. A new report every year is not a universal substitute for reviewing risks and changes.

## Timing
Review regularly and when the building, its use or the risks change. Set a suitable review date for your premises.

## Questions for a provider
- What experience do you have with premises like ours?
- Will the report include prioritised actions and explain what we can do ourselves?
- What information do you need about our building and its occupants?

## Official sources
- [GOV.UK: who is responsible for fire safety](https://www.gov.uk/workplace-fire-safety-your-responsibilities)
- [GOV.UK: fire risk assessments](https://www.gov.uk/workplace-fire-safety-your-responsibilities/fire-risk-assessments)

General information, not an assessment or a statement that a business is compliant.


## Bring the building manager and occupier into the same conversation

### Before you commission work
Before the assessment, collect the previous action list and identify who can answer questions about shared areas. Explain changes in layout, use and occupancy, including activities outside normal opening hours. Give the assessor access to the people who understand how the premises actually operate, not only the person authorised to pay the invoice.

### Follow through on the result
When the report arrives, separate actions your organisation controls from those requiring the landlord or another occupier. Record who has received each shared-area concern and who is following it up. Ask the competent assessor to explain unclear priorities; forwarding the report to another organisation is not evidence that a problem has been resolved.

## Related buying guides
- [Fire risk assessment costs: what should a quote include?](https://whatcompliance.com/buying-guides/fire-risk-assessment-costs-and-quotes)

## Buying the right work
- Find the existing assessment and its outstanding actions before paying for a replacement.
- Tell the assessor about the building’s use, opening hours, occupants and any sleeping accommodation.
- Agree the areas included, access needed, report format and how urgent findings will be raised.

## What you can do yourself
GOV.UK provides premises-specific guides to help with an assessment. Whether you can do the work yourself depends on having the necessary competence for your building and its risks.

## When to get help
Appoint a competent person if you do not have the time or expertise. Complex buildings, sleeping accommodation and people needing assistance deserve particular care when choosing an assessor.

## Records to keep
- Your written assessment and the information used to produce it.
- A record of actions, their owners and follow-up.
- Relevant training, checks, maintenance and arrangements with other responsible people.

## Does a business with fewer than five staff need a written fire risk assessment?
Yes, where the England and Wales fire-safety framework covered here applies, the fire risk assessment must be recorded. Do not confuse this with the separate five-employee threshold for recording a general workplace risk assessment.

## Is the landlord always responsible?
No. Employers, owners, landlords, occupiers and others with control can have responsibilities. In shared premises, responsible people need to cooperate.

## Must I buy a new fire risk assessment every year?
The assessment needs regular review and must remain suitable. A fixed annual replacement purchase is not the same as an effective review and action process.

Source check for this expanded guide: 2026-11-03. Specialist sign-off pending.