Hi,

I've been asked to advise a client on the following scenario and am struggling to provide an answer that either I or the client is happy with.

The client owns a flat in converted three-storey terrace house. The house was converted around 20 years ago. The entrance door to the common areas is at ground level at the front of the buidling. The front door to the neighbouring house is next to this door (about 50cm to the side). The neighbouring house is a single three-storey dwelling.

A recent T1 FRA of the converted house has just been produced and recommended that the front door to both the converted house and the terrace house be replaced with FD30 fire doors due to their proximity. Although reluctant, my client could replace the front door to the converted house, however there is absolutely no chance his neighbour will replace the front door to his private dwelling. This has resulted in something of an impasse and is holding up the sale of one of the flats in the converted house.

Is the recommendation to replace the doors reasonable? And if so, what are my clients options give he has no control over the door to the neighbouring house?

Absolutely unreasonable and not anywhere in guidance - if this were true every terrace of houses in the country would have to have a fire door as it's front door

The door needs to be fire rated. If the front door to your client’s property is stout and robust (a solid wood) they can usually be brought up to a nominal spec, you would need a specialist to advise if it could be done and if it would be cost effective.

As for the next door, small spherical objects!

Thanks for the replies. I'm still a bit confused though. So does the communal front door to the building converted into flats need to be a fire door? If so, then this does apply to a lot of terrace houses in the country.

Building Regs state that openings within 1.8m of an external escape route should be fire-rated, as do openings within 1m of a boundary. Does this apply here or not (for relevant alterations since the regs came into force - whenever that was)?