Fire exit garden gate locked

[Guest RebeccaGr]

Hello, we have a gate at the side of our house leading from our garden which is a fire exit for our house and the houses next to us but someone has put their own private lock on it so we can't get in and out of it easily and they refuse to make any other keys for us so I was wondering if you could help me with what to do. This is a fire exit and should be accessible. Thank you for your help.

[Tom Sutton]

This situation is not very clear is this gate, or access to it, on private land or the public thoroughfare, if it is private land then the owner has every right to bar it and the only way to gain access is by mutual agreement, check with a solicitor.

If it is a single private dwelling then it is not subject to the fire safety order then there is no a legal requirements, if it is a flat situation then the common areas are and if you require this for means of escape then you would need to find an alternative.

Most local fire and rescue services have a free fire safety check which you should take advantage of to evaluate your means of escape.

Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/uk-fire-rescue-services-details/

[Guest Helen]

Must I legally have a fire exit / gate in a rental property garden as a fire escape route?

 

Helen

[Tom Sutton]

It depends if the rental property is a house or flat, a house is not subject to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and a flat could be. Also it depends if the relevant persons would be in danger if enclosed to close to the building, but in most cases an escape to the public thoroughfare is necessary. 

[Guest Jock]

I currently run a business from my home I am a council approved childminder 

my back gate is a marked fire exit but someone keeps blocking my gate-with their car  and we can not use this at all. 
 we can not get out as the car is so close to the gate and wall 

I have kindly discussed this with the driver, bit  he will not move 2 ft up , what do I do ? 

[Tom Sutton]

If the car is on the public thoroughfare and is abiding by the parking laws, it is unlikely you will be able to do anything about it, you could try talking to the council to see if they can help or try contacting a solicitor to see if they have any idea's.

[Guest Guest Sharon]

Hi, I have to drive down a lane ( no one ownes the lane ) to get to my drive ... At the corner of the lane is a fire exit which belongs to a sheltered accommodation, this is locked inside by a single bolt ( is this legal ) Also when I had to do work on my drive I moved my car into the lane and parked it 6ft away from the fire gate allowing room for the fire exit gate to be opened also for people/persons to have ample room to walk past my car ... The wardon then phoned the police to say I was obstructing the gate (which I was not ) and was asked to move ... Can she do that? Or was I parked illegal, thankyou

[Tom Sutton]

I think this is a civil matter and and you need to speak to your solicitor or the police and find why it was considered  illegal parking.

[Guest Christina]

Good Morning, we privately rent a detached house but we have no access out of the rear garden if a fire was to occur to the front of the property where our escape route is.  Is an escape route necessary, ie: a gate? 

[AnthonyB]

Not normally. Hundreds of thousands of  houses in the UK have enclosed rear yards or gardens.

[Guest rear access]

hi i am a council tenant in a mid terraced property. i am currently in the process of having a new fence put up between me and the end terrace house. the fence is theirs and they should be paying for new but we will go halves on the price. my question is, next door is my only fire exit as the other neighbour is 3 houses up before i could get out if theres an emergency. am i entitled to have a gate put up in with the fence for use as a fire exit? there is a public footpath at the bottom of my garden but this would then be seen by everyone and a security risk i feel plus, its only accessible for walking down, a fire engine or any other emergency vehicle cant get down. so where do i stand?

[AnthonyB]

If you are a tenant the landlord is responsible for all this. If the boundary is the responsibility of the other party it's up to them if they want a gate or not. There is no legal requirement for such a provision.

[Guest Beatrice]

I moved to converted house ( i live on a 1st floor ) we have a fire exit between our gardens (the fire exit is locked by the other people living on ground floor)  how can i remove the fire exit??? I didn't see any other fire exit and we have 4 flats next door with gardens.... 

[Tom Sutton]

Without a full description of the layout with drawings or a physical survey it is very difficult to understand your problems.

[Guest Beatrice]

I spoke to the council officer and i found out this is not a fire exit , i can add a pic but not sure how to that here ?

[Guest Joe]

Hi, I live in a mid terraced house (shared ownership). Before I ask the company I part owe my house with, does anyone know if I can block in my stairs leading out of my rear garden and gate, so I can use utilise the very little space I have better? Ideally, I'd like to put decking in that area. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Guest milb73]

Hi 

I work in a commercial premises.  We have a fire exit which opens up onto a car park.  If we fence off part of that car park outside the fire exit, and gate it, does the gate have to have a push bar to open?  

[AnthonyB]

If you are trapped such that you are close enough to the building to only be in a relative place of safety as oppose to a place of ultimate safety then you will need onwards egress without the use of a key or code. Depending on the numbers and type of person needing to use the gate will determine if you need an EN 1125 panic exit device (push bar) or an EN 179 emergency exit device (push pad or lever handle). Usually you need a panic device if over 60 persons or persons not familiar with the premises (e.g. public) are using it.

[Guest Bindu]

I am planning to have a rear extension  of my detached house closing the garden exit to the driveway. I could go still to the driveway from rear through my garage. Is this permitted? Please advice.

[green-foam]

It's your private house, do as you wish. It is not a fire safety issue