Nearly half of buildings in England fail fire safety checks on first inspection, report shows

Almost half of buildings in England failed their fire safety audit at the first inspection in the past year, according to new analysis of official government data.

Research analysing the latest Home Office Fire Statistics for England found that 43% of premises did not meet required fire safety standards on initial inspection, raising concerns for those responsible for building design, construction, refurbishment and ongoing maintenance.

Overall fire safety compliance has fallen to 57%, the lowest level recorded in 14 years, compared with a satisfactory rate of 69% in 2016/17.

The findings point to growing challenges in maintaining fire safety standards across existing building stock.

Regions with the highest fire safety audit failure rates

The highest proportion of failed fire safety audits was recorded in Humberside, where 92% of buildings inspected did not pass.

In 2024/25, Humberside Fire and Rescue Service carried out 942 audits, with the vast majority resulting in enforcement action.

Lancashire recorded the second highest failure rate at 88%, followed by Northumberland, Buckinghamshire, and Devon and Somerset, each reporting failure rates of 72%.

Regions with the highest fire safety pass rates

In contrast, Cheshire recorded the strongest compliance, with 92% of audited buildings passing fire safety checks in the past year.

Staffordshire followed with a 90% pass rate, while Hertfordshire recorded 89%. Cambridgeshire and Leicestershire also performed relatively well, with pass rates of 88% and 85% respectively.

The data highlights a geographical divide in fire safety outcomes, with 70% of the regions with the highest pass rates located in the South of England.

fire safety

Common causes of fire safety audit failures

Analysis of inspection data shows that issues linked to building design, maintenance and management remain the most frequent causes of non-compliance. The most commonly recorded breaches were:

Emergency routes and exits – 10,323 breaches
Maintenance – 8,666 breaches
Fire risk assessments – 8,471 breaches
Procedures for serious and imminent danger – 8,013 breaches
General fire precautions – 7,615 breaches

Despite Fire and Rescue Services carrying out around 4,000 fewer audits than in 2016, inspectors identified 4,000 more individual breaches in 2024/25, indicating that the severity and frequency of non-compliance has increased.

Failures relating to emergency routes and exits were the most common, including blocked or locked escape routes, defective emergency lighting, and fire doors wedged open.

Maintenance-related breaches included failures to carry out fire alarm testing, service fire extinguishers, and ensure fire doors operate correctly.

Inadequate or missing Fire Risk Assessments were the third most common issue. Under Article 9 of the Fire Safety Order, most commercial premises are legally required to maintain an up-to-date assessment, yet non-compliance remains widespread.

Industry comment

Karl Bantleman at Direct365 said the findings reflect increasing pressure on enforcement bodies and deteriorating standards across the built environment.

“The data reveals a worrying decline in the safety standards of buildings across the country. It is apparent that Fire and Rescue Services are stretched to their limit and at the current rate of inspection, it would take 48 years to audit all current premises. Despite this, standards are continuing to slide, with national compliance hitting a 14 year low in the past 12 months.”

He added:

“Of course, the safety standard of buildings varies depending on where in the country you are located. However, with an average pass rate of just 57%, improvements are needed urgently across the board.”

“To help protect premises and ensure fire safety audits are satisfactory, business owners must keep all emergency exits clear, ensure fire doors are never wedged open, and, most importantly, ensure Fire Risk Assessments are reviewed annually.”