Fire exit door in HMO

[Guest Tom]

I have a quick question I hope you can help me with.
I live in small former hotel turned into 6 flats over 3 floors, 2 each floor inc ground.

There is only 1 exit, the front door. Its got 2 panels in the bottom, and 2 glass panes in the top.

We have recently been told it must be closed at all times because "its a fire door", it has no markings as such, opens outwards, and for all intent and purposes its a standard, quite old, front door used on a communal building (you wouldnt use it on a house).

Legally Im not sure you "must" keep external doors closed. I also do not believe this is an actual fire door so cant be labelled as even if legally it must be kept closed.

I was wondering if you could shed any light on this please as Im concerned about mislabeling, and so false sense of security and I dont really believe they are right in any case.


Thanks in advance for your time and help.

[Tom Sutton]

The external door leading to fresh air is known as a final exit door and does not require to be a fire door or kept shut other than for security reasons, except when it opens onto an escape route where it could jeopardise people getting to a place of ultimate safety, like an external staircase. This would not apply in your building because  there is only one final exit.