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Compliance · Fire and life safety

What monthly checks are required on firefighting lifts and fire-fighting equipment in high-rise residential buildings?

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The short answer

In residential buildings of at least 18 metres or seven storeys, the responsible person must check lifts for firefighters, evacuation lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment every month, keep a record residents can see, and tell the fire and rescue service about any fault that cannot be fixed within 24 hours. The secure information box must also be inspected at least once a year.

The tasks

What to do, and how often

Task How often Who Basis
Monthly routine check of lifts for use by firefighters, evacuation lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment, with a record made available to residents Every month Responsible person Law Regulation 7 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. Essential fire-fighting equipment covers rising main inlets and outlets, smoke control systems, suppression systems and, in the common parts, fire detection and alarm systems, evacuation alert systems and automatic door release mechanisms. SourcesS1S3S5S6
Report any fault that cannot be fixed within 24 hours to the local fire and rescue service, and report again when it is fixed No fixed intervalEvent-driven: as soon as reasonably practicable, where a fault cannot be fixed within 24 hours of being found Responsible person Law Regulation 7(3) of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. SourcesS2
Inspect the secure information box and confirm it is still accessible to the fire and rescue service, secure and able to hold the required documents Every yearAt least once a year Responsible person Law Regulation 4(5) of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 requires the responsible person to inspect the secure information box at least annually. SourcesS9
Weekly operation of the fire-fighting lift override switch Every week Responsible person or nominated staff Guidance The government-hosted guide to purpose-built blocks of flats describes weekly operation of override switches, citing BS 9999 for further guidance. SourcesS7
Annual testing and maintenance of fire-fighting lifts Every year Competent lift contractor Guidance The government-hosted guide to purpose-built blocks of flats describes annual testing and maintenance of fire-fighting lifts, citing BS 9999 for further guidance. SourcesS7

The law

Regulation 7 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, in force since 23 January 2023, requires monthly routine checks, a record accessible to residents, and electronic reporting of faults that cannot be fixed within 24 hours. It applies to high-rise residential buildings: those with two or more homes that are at least 18 metres above ground level or have at least seven storeys. Regulation 4 of the same regulations requires the secure information box to be inspected at least annually. Article 38 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 separately requires facilities for fire-fighters to be maintained in every building that has them.

The standard

BS 9999 gives guidance on testing and servicing fire-fighting lifts, as cited by the government-hosted guide to purpose-built blocks of flats.

Records to keep

  • Dated record of each monthly check, available to residents
  • Fault reports and rectification reports sent to the fire and rescue service
  • Dated record of the annual secure information box inspection
  • Lift maintenance and test records

Notes

A routine check means confirming the lift or equipment is in efficient working order and good repair, in line with the relevant industry standard or the manufacturer's instructions. Lifts are also subject to thorough examination under LOLER where they are used at work: see the passenger and goods lifts entry.

The weekly and annual lift tasks come from a 2011 guide; the monthly check is the legal minimum.

Who delivers this in the group

Not a group service

This is not delivered by an AMPM Group company. It is listed because building managers need the whole picture.

Quick answers

Questions people ask

Firefighting lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment in high-rise residential buildings: which tasks are legal requirements?

3 tasks on this page rest on legislation: monthly routine check of lifts for use by firefighters, evacuation lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment, with a record made available to residents (every month); report any fault that cannot be fixed within 24 hours to the local fire and rescue service, and report again when it is fixed (event-driven: as soon as reasonably practicable, where a fault cannot be fixed within 24 hours of being found); inspect the secure information box and confirm it is still accessible to the fire and rescue service, secure and able to hold the required documents (every year). The other 2 tasks are recommended by guidance, and are not legal requirements in themselves.

Firefighting lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment in high-rise residential buildings: who should carry out each task?

Responsible person: monthly routine check of lifts for use by firefighters, evacuation lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment, with a record made available to residents; report any fault that cannot be fixed within 24 hours to the local fire and rescue service, and report again when it is fixed; inspect the secure information box and confirm it is still accessible to the fire and rescue service, secure and able to hold the required documents. Responsible person or nominated staff: weekly operation of the fire-fighting lift override switch. Competent lift contractor: annual testing and maintenance of fire-fighting lifts.

Firefighting lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment in high-rise residential buildings: what records should you keep?

Keep these records: dated record of each monthly check, available to residents; fault reports and rectification reports sent to the fire and rescue service; dated record of the annual secure information box inspection; lift maintenance and test records.

Firefighting lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment in high-rise residential buildings: which tasks have no fixed interval?

Report any fault that cannot be fixed within 24 hours to the local fire and rescue service, and report again when it is fixed: event-driven: as soon as reasonably practicable, where a fault cannot be fixed within 24 hours of being found.

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. 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

  2. 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

    “cannot be rectified within a 24-hour period beginning with the time the fault is identified”

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

    Supports: Faults not fixed within 24 hours must be reported to the fire and rescue service

  3. 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 make a record of the monthly checks undertaken pursuant to this regulation and make that record accessible to the residents of the building”

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

    Supports: Record of monthly checks to be accessible to residents

  4. Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 3: Meaning of high-rise residential building ↗

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

    “is at least 18 metres above ground level; or (b) has at least seven storeys”

    Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 3: Meaning of high-rise residential building, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

    Supports: Definition of a high-rise residential building

  5. Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 6: Floor plans and building plan ↗

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

    “(c) outlets for dry-rising mains; (d) outlets for wet-rising mains; (e) smoke control systems; (f) suppression systems”

    Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 6: Floor plans and building plan, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

    Supports: Key fire-fighting equipment: rising main inlets and outlets, smoke control and suppression systems

  6. Fact sheet: Lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment (regulation 7) ↗

    Home Office (GOV.UK) · Updated 24 July 2023 · read on

    “Monthly checks will be recorded in a transparent way that is accessible to residents.”

    Fact sheet: Lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment (regulation 7), Home Office (GOV.UK)

    Supports: Home Office fact sheet on the monthly checks

  7. 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

    “weekly operation of override switches and monthly inspections and annual testing and maintenance of the lifts”

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

    Supports: Good practice routine for fire-fighting lifts; cites BS 9999

  8. Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 38: Maintenance of measures provided for protection of fire-fighters ↗

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

    “provided in respect of the premises for the use by or protection of fire-fighters”

    Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 38: Maintenance of measures provided for protection of fire-fighters, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

    Supports: Legal duty to maintain facilities provided for fire-fighters

  9. Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 4: Secure information box ↗

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

    “must inspect the secure information box at least annually and ensure that it continues to meet the requirements in paragraph (2)”

    Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 4: Secure information box, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

    Supports: Annual inspection of the secure information box

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