Does the front door of a flat count as a fire exit?

[Guest Adam]

Apologies for the long windedness of this,

Several years ago i bought a 1st floor maisonette that was converted from a 2 story terrace house back in the 80s, i was told the door that would of connected lounge to corridor had been sealed via court order because of a disagreement with the previous owner and the tenant of the flat below mine, this would of been atleast 15 years ago (possibly in 1989).

The tenant is now giving the landlord of the ground floor flat hassle over a number of issues (most seem trivial) but one of the issues is that "if there is a fire in the kitchen there would be no fire exit for him" and wants to unseal this door that leads onto my corridor to gain access to my front door (his front door would of been the original back door if you imagine a traditional 2 up 2 down building)

is the tenant just causing hassle? or is he in the right that he should have 2 exits for a 2 room flat? 

if he is in the right am i obliged to unseal this door? or should the landlord of the flat replace the original lounge window with a suitable fire escape exit?

[Tom Sutton]

I am trying to understand the lay out of you premises and unless the roof space has been turned into habitable rooms it doesn't make sense consequently I cannot give a definitive response.

Modern guidance states all two storey premises only require one means of escape providing they have openable escape windows, and that could be the reason why the door that would of connected lounge to corridor had been sealed.

[Guest Adam]

25 minutes ago, Tom Sutton said:

I am trying to understand the lay out of you premises and unless the roof space has been turned into habitable rooms it doesn't make sense consequently I cannot give a definitive response.

Modern guidance states all two storey premises only require one means of escape providing they have openable escape windows, and that could be the reason why the door that would of connected lounge to corridor had been sealed.

? i should of said it was a terraced house converted into two flats, flat 1 being a groundfloor 1bedroom flat and flatt 2 being 1st floor and attic conversion.

[Tom Sutton]

I guessed that and my advice for the ground floor flat remains the same, for your maisonette it is slightly different because you have hatitual rooms on the third floor.

Check out HOUSING – FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing.