Every year, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government publishes its fire prevention and protection statistics — a comprehensive dataset drawn from the audit and enforcement activity of Fire and Rescue Services across England. The latest release, covering April 2024 to March 2025, makes for uncomfortable reading for anyone responsible for managing a residential or commercial building.
Of the 51,020 fire safety audits carried out by Fire and Rescue Services in England during that period, just 58% received a satisfactory outcome. That means more than 21,000 premises — across every sector — were found to be non-compliant. For residential premises, the picture is considerably worse.
Source: MHCLG Fire Prevention and Protection Statistics, England, April 2024 to March 2025 (published August 2025).
These are not figures that can be dismissed as the result of a particularly aggressive inspection regime. The 58% satisfactory rate matches the previous year and represents the lowest proportion of satisfactory audits since 2011 — a sustained, structural problem across the sector, not a one-off blip.
What the Data Actually Shows
The MHCLG dataset breaks down audit outcomes by premises type, and the residential sector — particularly converted and smaller purpose-built blocks — sits towards the bottom of every performance table.
| Premises Type | Audits (2024–25) | Satisfactory Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Further education | 441 | 74% |
| Shops | 10,106 | 61% |
| Other sleeping accommodation | 5,091 | 58% |
| Care homes | 6,461 | 57% |
| Purpose-built flats (4–5 storeys) | 1,625 | 54% |
| Purpose-built flats (6–9 storeys) | 1,322 | ~54% |
| Houses converted to flats | 790 | 41% ✗ |
Source: MHCLG FIRE1202 dataset, year ending March 2025. Satisfactory rate for purpose-built flats 6–9 storeys is approximate based on published data.
Houses converted to flats recorded the worst performance of any premises category in the dataset — with 59% returning an unsatisfactory result. For managing agents with converted stock in their portfolio, that is not a theoretical risk. It is a statistical probability.
The data also shows a sharp increase in audit activity for residential blocks. Audits of purpose-built flats increased dramatically compared to the previous year — up 60% for blocks of 1–3 storeys, up 61% for blocks of 4–5 storeys, and up 45% for blocks of 6–9 storeys. Fire and Rescue Services are inspecting residential blocks more intensively than at any point in recent history. The chances of your building being audited — and of that audit returning an unsatisfactory result — have never been higher.
What Inspectors Are Finding
An unsatisfactory audit does not simply mean paperwork is missing. The MHCLG data records the specific articles of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 most commonly breached, and the results point to fundamental, physical failures in how buildings are managed day to day.
The most frequently breached provision — by a significant margin — was Article 14: Emergency routes and exits, with 10,323 recorded breaches. Blocked escape routes. Compromised fire exits. Doors that should be kept clear, aren't. This is the number one fire safety failure across England, and it is also one of the most preventable.
Other commonly cited breaches included Article 17 (maintenance of fire safety equipment and systems), Article 9 (inadequate or out-of-date fire risk assessments), Article 15 (procedures for serious and imminent danger), and Article 21 (staff training). The full top ten, drawn directly from the MHCLG data, is telling:
| Article | Breaches 2024–25 | 5-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Art. 14 — Emergency routes and exits | 10,323 | +27% |
| Art. 17 — Maintenance | 8,666 | +35% |
| Art. 9 — Risk assessment | 8,471 | +26% |
| Art. 15 — Serious and imminent danger procedures | 8,013 | +60% |
| Art. 8 — General fire precautions | 7,615 | +24% |
| Art. 13 — Fire fighting and detection | 6,511 | +16% |
| Art. 21 — Training | 4,275 | +30% |
| Art. 11 — Fire safety arrangements | 4,195 | +34% |
| Art. 19 — Information to employees | 3,513 | +68% |
| Art. 18 — Safety assistance | 2,734 | +95% |
Source: MHCLG FIRE1202 dataset, year ending March 2025.
Every one of these breaches represents something a competent, well-managed building should have in place. And every one of them has increased significantly over a five-year period — in some cases almost doubling. The direction of travel is unmistakable.
What Happens When an Audit Is Unsatisfactory
An unsatisfactory audit is not the end of the process — it is the beginning of an enforcement pathway that can escalate quickly. In 2024–25, Fire and Rescue Services issued:
Source: MHCLG Fire Prevention and Protection Statistics, England, April 2024 to March 2025.
A prohibition notice is the most serious step short of prosecution. It means the Fire and Rescue Service has formed the opinion that your building presents a risk to relevant persons so serious that use of it ought to be prohibited or restricted — immediately. In 2024–25, 959 prohibition notices were issued. That is nearly 1,000 buildings across England where residents and occupants were told they could not safely remain.
Formal enforcement notices require remedial action within a set timeframe. Failure to comply can lead directly to prosecution. And alteration notices — served where a building constitutes a serious risk, or may do so if changes are made — increased by 81% in a single year, from 139 to 251.
What This Means for Managing Agents
For managing agents across Chester, the North West and North Wales, the MHCLG data points to a clear and urgent message: fire safety compliance in residential blocks is not a tick-box exercise that can be deferred or delegated without oversight. It is an active, continuous obligation — and the Fire and Rescue Service will increasingly hold you to it.
The most common failures identified in the 2024–25 data are not complex technical problems. They are operational ones. Escape routes that are blocked. Fire risk assessments that are out of date or inadequate. Fire doors that are not being maintained. Detection systems that are not being tested or serviced. Staff who have not received adequate fire safety training. Every one of these failures is avoidable with the right systems and the right professional support in place.
It is also worth noting that the MHCLG data covers audits of buildings that Fire and Rescue Services have already prioritised for inspection — typically those assessed as higher risk. If your building has not been audited recently, that does not mean it is compliant. It may simply mean it has not yet been inspected.
The Six Areas Most Likely to Let Your Building Down
A Note on the New PEEP Regulations
The MHCLG audit data covers the period to March 2025 — before the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 came into force on 6 April 2026. Managing agents of buildings within scope now have an additional layer of compliance obligations around identifying vulnerable residents and putting Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans in place. We covered this in detail in our post on residential PEEPs for property managers. The obligations are live and enforceable now.
What We See in the North West
The national picture reflected in the MHCLG data is consistent with what we observe in our own work across Chester, Cheshire, the Wirral, North Wales and the wider North West. The most common issues we encounter when carrying out fire risk assessments for managing agents and residential blocks are not exotic or technical — they are the same issues that appear at the top of the MHCLG breach tables: compromised escape routes, inadequate FRAs, poorly maintained fire doors, and incomplete or absent staff training.
These are problems that can be identified, documented and addressed before an FRS inspector does it for you. The difference between a satisfactory audit and an enforcement notice is often a matter of having the right systems in place — not the right luck.
We work with managing agents, HMO landlords, commercial premises and hotels and hospitality venues across Chester, the North West and North Wales. If you are unsure whether your buildings would pass an FRS audit, or if your current fire risk assessments are overdue for review, get in touch.
Would your building pass a Fire and Rescue Service audit?
We carry out thorough, professionally qualified fire risk assessments for managing agents and residential blocks across Chester, the North West and North Wales — identifying the issues before the inspector does.