Requirements of FRA for leasehold properties

[Guest Penelope11]

Hello there I live in a leasehold property on three floors with four flats. There are two on the first floor and two on the second. Garages and storerooms on the ground floor. There is plenty of natural light on all three floors through a communal front and back door and plenty of light. Our managing agents are saying that from the Fire risk assessment we need emergency lighting and fire detectors. The staircase is not complicated - the building is not converted and we have plenty of lighting as it is. Apparently from the report these changes were recommended but not considered essential. It seems they just want to make money from us. Where do we stand please?

[Tom Sutton]

Its the managing agents who are the Responsible Person (RP) and it is their duty to conduct a Fire Risk Assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. It is their duty to decide what is suitable and sufficient and apply it. You would need to find out why those two items have been included, for instance is there sufficient borrowed light in the middle of the night for occupants to find their way out of the premises in safety. Whether a fire alarm is required would depend on compartmentation and the importance and urgency needed to inform the residents of a fire in the premises.