Resident access and appointments for fire protection work

Good access arrangements begin before the first visit. Residents need to know why access is requested, who is attending, what the visit involves and how to change an appointment. Property teams need a reliable way to track booked, completed and unsuccessful visits without losing sight of the work still required.

This guide is a starting point for planning. The arrangements for your building should be agreed with the landlord or managing agent and the appointed contractor.

For property teams: agree who manages communication

Nominate a person or team to issue notices, answer resident questions and handle changes. Establish how the contractor receives confirmed appointments and how outcomes are returned to the property team.

For flat entrance door checks, access may be needed to both sides of the door. Government fire door guidance recommends arranging access in advance and explains the requirement to record attempts to carry out the relevant checks. Include a clear process for unsuccessful visits in the programme.

Make the appointment notice useful

A notice should explain:

• The organisation commissioning the visit and why it is needed.
• The date or agreed appointment window, with any duration estimate qualified appropriately.
• The areas the team expects to access and the intended activity.
• How residents can verify the visit and the operative's identity.
• Who to contact to rearrange or discuss an access requirement.
• Any preparation specifically agreed for the visit.

Avoid asking residents to dismantle, adjust or repair anything before an inspection. If furniture or belongings need to be moved to provide access, explain the requirement in advance and agree how support requests will be handled.

For residents: preparing for a planned visit

Check the appointment details and use the contact route on the verified notice if the time is unsuitable. If the visit is unexpected or something does not match the information you received, confirm it through your landlord or managing agent using a contact number you already trust before allowing entry.

Tell the appointed contact about anything that could affect access, such as needing a different communication format, arranging for a representative to attend or keeping pets secure. You do not need to put private medical details in a public enquiry form; agree an appropriate way to share only the information needed.

Keep the agreed access route available where practical. Ask the team what will happen during the visit and how questions or concerns can be raised afterwards. The building's existing fire safety instructions remain the reference for residents throughout the programme.

Record missed visits and changed conditions

For property teams, use the same property or door reference on appointment lists and survey records. Distinguish a cancellation, no response, refused access and an area that could not safely be inspected. Each can require a different follow-up.

An unsuccessful visit should stay open in the work schedule. Rebooking and any further access action should be managed by the landlord or other responsible party through the appropriate process. Do not treat a missed appointment as completion or leave the contractor to make assumptions about the resident's circumstances.

Keep residents informed after the visit

Explain whether further work or another appointment is expected and who will communicate it. Where no immediate decision is available, make the follow-up contact clear rather than promising an unconfirmed date.

Our fire door survey preparation guide and after-work guide help property teams connect these arrangements to the wider programme. For an Interseal project enquiry, contact the team with the building details and proposed scope.