Solicitor asking for a fire risk assessment?
If your building doesn’t have a current assessment, the sale can stall while you arrange one. See a price guide from £149 and request a quote for the shared areas. The method, price and timing are confirmed before booking.
Private preview. Use made-up details; requests are saved as tests.
Request received.
This is a quote request, not a confirmed booking. If we can help, we’ll contact you using the details you gave.
- Price guide
- Shown before you send a request
- Assessment
- Video-led where suitable for the building
- Next step
- Request a quote with no payment
- Booking
- Confirmed separately if available
Check whether one already exists
You may not need a new one.
- Ask the managing agent or freeholder for the current fire risk assessment. If it was done or reviewed in the last year and nothing in the building has changed, it may be all your solicitor needs.
- If you share the freehold, or there’s no agent, ask the other owners who manages the shared areas and whether an assessment exists.
- If it’s missing or out of date, request a quote above and include your exchange or completion date.
How a request works
- 1
Tell us about the building
Answer a few questions and see an instant price guide.
- 2
Send a quote request
Leave your contact details and any deadline. There is nothing to pay.
- 3
Confirm the scope
If we can help, we’ll confirm the method, price and availability before any booking.
- 4
Arrange the assessment
A suitable assessment and report are agreed only after the scope is confirmed.
What a video assessment may need to cover
The right scope depends on the building. These are examples of shared areas and records an assessor may ask to see. Video is used only when it can support a suitable assessment.
| Area | What may need checking |
|---|---|
| Way in and out | Escape routes, exit doors and access from shared areas to the street. |
| Flat front doors | Door condition, closers, seals and gaps where access is available. The government’s small-block guide explains why these matter. |
| Other shared doors | Doors onto stairs, lobbies and cupboards: their closers, seals and any glass. |
| Alarms and lighting | Every smoke detector, alarm panel and emergency light, and the last test record if there is one. |
| Meter cupboards | Access, visible condition and storage near electrical intakes. Electrical equipment stays closed. |
| Landings and bin store | Shared landings, stair areas and bin storage. |
| Walls and ceilings | Loft hatches, and anywhere pipes or cables pass between a flat and the shared areas. |
| Outside | Visible external features and whether a specialist check may be needed. |
What an assessment report can cover
The contents and delivery date depend on the agreed scope. A report should help the responsible person act on the findings.
- Scope
- Shared areas assessed and any limitations
- Findings
- Observations and supporting images where available
- Action plan
- What to fix, who is responsible, how urgent
- For other owners
- A one-page plain-English summary
- Review
- A recommended review date
Selling a flat: questions
Why is my solicitor asking for a fire risk assessment?
Buyers’ solicitors usually ask for the building’s current fire risk assessment as part of the leasehold enquiries (often on the LPE1 form). It shows the buyer, and their lender, that the shared parts of the building are being managed for fire safety.
Who is supposed to arrange it: me, the freeholder or the managing agent?
Whoever is responsible for the building’s common parts: usually the freeholder or managing agent. If you own a share of the freehold, or there is a residents’ management company, check who has been appointed to arrange the assessment. You can send a request on their behalf.
Will my buyer’s solicitor accept it?
We cannot guarantee what a particular solicitor or lender will accept. Ask them about the scope and type of assessment they require before commissioning one.
How fast can it be done?
Timing depends on the building, the proposed assessment method and availability. Include your deadline in the request.
What if the report finds something that needs fixing?
That’s common, and it doesn’t automatically stop a sale. The action plan sets out each issue by priority, so you can show the buyer what’s being done. Low-cost fixes such as a missing door closer can often be done before completion.
How much does it cost?
The guide starts at £149 for a two-flat building. Final scope and price are confirmed before any booking.