I own a 2nd floor flat (above 4.5m) in a converted townhouse. The building was converted into 3 flats back in the 1980s. The 3 owners recently installed FD30s fire doors to each of the flat entrances onto the communal stairway. While the installation was taking place I asked the fire door installer whether I also needed internal fire doors for my kitchen, living room etc (flat currently doesn’t have them) and he said it wasn’t a legal requirement. Since then, however, I’ve read a lot of building regulations online that indicate internal fire doors ARE required for a 2nd floor flat. 
 

It’s not clear to me whether such building regulations written in 2007 etc  apply only to new builds/conversions or if they should be retrospectively applied to all existing domestic properties built before the regulations were written. Some websites I’ve visited indicate they don’t apply to existing homes but I’d like to be certain. Could someone advise?

 

Thanks!

Building Regulations are not retrospective. Unless you carry out certain building work requiring Building Regs approval, which might (depending on what you are doing)  you need not change them

Great, that’s good to know. Many thanks!