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Compliance · Fire and life safety

How often should a fire alarm be tested and serviced?

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  • 10sources
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  • Englandscope
The short answer

Test the fire alarm every week from a different manual call point, and have a competent contractor inspect and service it about every six months. BS 5839-1:2025 accepts a service visit any time between five and seven months after the last one.

The tasks

What to do, and how often

Task How often Who Basis
Weekly user test from a manual call point, using a different call point each week Every week Premises management or nominated staff British Standard BS 5839-1 recommends a weekly test from a different manual call point each week, recorded in the log book. Home Office guidance says the same. SourcesS1S2
Inspection and servicing by a competent fire alarm contractor Every 6 monthsApproximately every 6 months: each visit may fall between 5 and 7 months after the last Competent fire alarm contractor British Standard BS 5839-1:2025 recommends inspection and servicing visits at intervals of approximately six months. A visit between five and seven months after the previous one is acceptable. SourcesS3S4S5S6
Monthly routine check of fire detection and alarm systems in the common parts Applies to: High-rise residential buildings only: at least 18 metres or 7 storeys, with 2 or more homes Every month Responsible person Law Regulation 7 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 requires monthly routine checks of essential fire-fighting equipment, which includes common-parts fire detection and alarm systems. SourcesS7S8

Where a row says who or what it applies to, the task is for that case only.

The law

Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to keep fire safety equipment under a suitable system of maintenance, in efficient working order and in good repair. The Order does not set test or service intervals. In high-rise residential buildings, regulation 7 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 adds a legal duty to carry out monthly routine checks of fire detection and alarm systems in the common parts.

The standard

BS 5839-1:2025, the code of practice for fire detection and fire alarm systems in non-domestic premises. It replaced BS 5839-1:2017.

Records to keep

  • Fire alarm log book with each weekly test and the call point used
  • Inspection and servicing certificate or report for each service visit
  • Records of faults, false alarms and remedial work
  • In high-rise residential buildings: the record of monthly checks, kept available to residents

Notes

The weekly test and the six-monthly service are recommendations of the British Standard, not legal requirements in themselves: following them is the usual way to show the legal maintenance duty has been met.

The 2017 edition said the gap between services should not exceed six months; the 2025 edition changed this to approximately six months with a five to seven month window.

Department for Education guidance for schools describes the contractor element as quarterly and annual inspections and tests; this dataset follows the wording of BS 5839-1:2025 as quoted by the Fire Industry Association.

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Quick answers

Questions people ask

Fire detection and alarm systems: which tasks are legal requirements?

1 task on this page rests on legislation: monthly routine check of fire detection and alarm systems in the common parts (every month; high-rise residential buildings only: at least 18 metres or 7 storeys, with 2 or more homes). The other 2 tasks are recommended by a British Standard, and are not legal requirements in themselves.

Fire detection and alarm systems: who should carry out each task?

Premises management or nominated staff: weekly user test from a manual call point, using a different call point each week. Competent fire alarm contractor: inspection and servicing by a competent fire alarm contractor. Responsible person: monthly routine check of fire detection and alarm systems in the common parts.

Fire detection and alarm systems: what records should you keep?

Keep these records: fire alarm log book with each weekly test and the call point used; inspection and servicing certificate or report for each service visit; records of faults, false alarms and remedial work; in high-rise residential buildings: the record of monthly checks, kept available to residents.

Checked on

Sources

Every task and legal statement is supported by at least one source fetched over HTTPS and read on the date shown. Quotes are verbatim and 25 words or fewer. A second, independent verification pass re-fetched every source and re-read the legislation on 5 October 2026. Intervals taken from British Standards were checked against published summaries of those standards by trade bodies and government guidance, because the standards themselves are paid publications.

  1. Technical Bulletin: User Responsibilities, fire detection and fire alarm systems ↗

    Fire Industry Association · Version 1, November 2023 · read on

    “Every week, during normal working hours, a different manual call point should be activated”

    Technical Bulletin: User Responsibilities, fire detection and fire alarm systems, Fire Industry Association

    Supports: BS 5839-1 weekly test by premises management, using a different manual call point each week, recorded in the log book

  2. A guide to making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire ↗

    Home Office (GOV.UK) · Updated 20 January 2025. Guidance issued under article 50 of the Fire Safety Order · read on

    “Fire alarm systems should be tested using a different manual alarm call point each week”

    A guide to making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire, Home Office (GOV.UK)

    Supports: Home Office guidance repeats the weekly call point test

  3. Guidance Note: Guide to the changes in BS 5839-1:2025 ↗

    Fire Industry Association · Version 1, June 2025 · read on

    “Successive inspection and servicing visits should be undertaken at intervals of approximately 6 months”

    Guidance Note: Guide to the changes in BS 5839-1:2025, Fire Industry Association

    Supports: Wording of BS 5839-1:2025 clause 43.2.1 on the service interval

  4. Guidance Note: Guide to the changes in BS 5839-1:2025 ↗

    Fire Industry Association · Version 1, June 2025 · read on

    “any time between 5 months and 7 months after the previous inspection, test and service”

    Guidance Note: Guide to the changes in BS 5839-1:2025, Fire Industry Association

    Supports: The five to seven month tolerance in BS 5839-1:2025

  5. A guide to making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire ↗

    Home Office (GOV.UK) · Updated 20 January 2025. Guidance issued under article 50 of the Fire Safety Order · read on

    “Fire alarm systems should be inspected and tested by a competent contractor”

    A guide to making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire, Home Office (GOV.UK)

    Supports: Home Office checklist lists contractor inspection under six-monthly checks

  6. Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats ↗

    Local Government Association, hosted by the Home Office (GOV.UK) · Written 2011; GOV.UK page last updated 2 December 2024. The Home Office says it is no longer comprehensive and is being revised · read on

    “Periodic servicing should be undertaken at least once every six months.”

    Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats, Local Government Association, hosted by the Home Office (GOV.UK)

    Supports: Six-monthly servicing in blocks of flats where a system is provided

  7. Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 7: Lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment ↗

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives) · In force 23 January 2023 · read on

    “must undertake monthly routine checks of lifts for use by firefighters, evacuation lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment within the building”

    Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 7: Lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

    Supports: Monthly routine checks of essential fire-fighting equipment in high-rise residential buildings

  8. Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 7: Lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment ↗

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives) · In force 23 January 2023 · read on

    “fire detection and fire alarm systems including any detectors linked to ancillary equipment such as smoke control systems”

    Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 7: Lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

    Supports: Essential fire-fighting equipment includes common-parts fire detection and alarm systems

  9. Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 17: Maintenance ↗

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives) · Revised text as shown on 5 October 2026 · read on

    “are subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair”

    Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 17: Maintenance, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

    Supports: The general legal duty to maintain fire safety equipment

  10. Good estate management for schools: Health and safety ↗

    Department for Education (GOV.UK) · Updated 20 July 2026. Written for schools · read on

    “The system should also be subject to quarterly and annual inspections and tests by a competent person.”

    Good estate management for schools: Health and safety, Department for Education (GOV.UK)

    Supports: Schools guidance words the contractor element differently

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