Fire Risk Assessment Review Frequency: How Often Is Enough in 2026?

TL;DR

• There is no single legal number for fire risk assessment review frequency, but most premises should treat 12 months as the working default.

• Certain trigger events, such as building changes, incidents, or new hazards, mean a review is needed sooner, regardless of when the last one happened.

• Higher-risk buildings are expected to review more often and in greater depth, tied to the Building Safety Regulator's Safety Case Report cycle.

• The Responsible Person carries legal accountability for keeping the fire risk assessment current, even when a contractor carried out the original assessment.

• Reviewing late or not at all is treated the same as having no valid fire risk assessment during enforcement action.

Introduction

Fire risk assessment review frequency is one of the most common compliance questions Responsible Persons ask, and one of the most misunderstood. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 does not set out a fixed number of months between reviews. Instead, it requires the assessment to be kept under regular review, which leaves duty holders working out what "regular" means in practice for their own building. This guide gives a direct, practical answer. It covers the annual baseline most premises should follow, the specific events that should trigger an earlier review, and how the rules tighten for higher-risk buildings.

What Determines Fire Risk Assessment Review Frequency?

There is no single answer that applies to every building. Fire risk assessment review frequency depends on a combination of factors: how the building is used, how many people occupy it, whether vulnerable people are present, the hazard level of any processes or materials on site, and the building's fire safety history. A small single-storey office with a stable layout carries a very different risk profile to a multi-occupancy residential block or a site storing flammable materials. Because of this, PES treats review frequency as a judgement built on evidence rather than a single fixed rule, and our fire risk assessment services are scoped around each building's specific risk profile.

The Annual Review Baseline

For most commercial and residential premises, 12 months is the sensible working default. An annual review gives enough time to spot gradual changes in occupancy, use, or fire safety provisions, without leaving so much time between checks that a real change in risk goes unnoticed. Many Responsible Persons build this into their annual compliance calendar alongside other statutory checks, such as electrical testing and fire door inspections. Our commercial fire risk assessment guide sets out what a full annual review should cover in more detail.

An annual review does not need to be a full rewrite of the assessment every time. In many cases, it is a structured check to confirm that the existing findings, control measures, and action points are still accurate, with updates made only where something has genuinely changed.

Trigger Events That Call for an Earlier Review

Regardless of when the last annual review took place, certain events should trigger an earlier check. These include:

• A change in the layout, use, or occupancy of the building

• A fire, near miss, or false alarm that reveals a gap in existing controls

• New or vulnerable occupants, such as residents with mobility issues or overnight sleeping risk

• A change in the storage or handling of hazardous or flammable materials

• An enforcement notice or improvement notice from a fire authority

• Significant building work, including refurbishment, extension, or a change to escape routes

Building Works and Refurbishment

Refurbishment projects deserve particular attention. Works that alter escape routes, remove or add compartment walls, or change how fire doors operate can invalidate parts of an existing assessment even if the rest of the building is unchanged. Our guide on what a fire risk assessment actually involves explains how these changes are assessed in practice.

Fire Risk Assessment Review Frequency: Whose Responsibility Is It?

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Responsible Person holds legal accountability for keeping the fire risk assessment current. This applies whether the Responsible Person is an employer, a building owner, a landlord, or a managing agent. Appointing a competent contractor to carry out the assessment does not transfer this legal duty. The Responsible Person must still be able to demonstrate that reviews are happening at appropriate intervals and that any actions identified are being closed out.

Higher-Risk Buildings and the Building Safety Regulator

Higher-risk buildings, generally those at least 18 metres tall or with seven or more storeys and containing residential units, sit under separate and more demanding oversight from the Building Safety Regulator. For these buildings, fire risk assessment review frequency is tied more closely to the Safety Case Report cycle, and Principal Accountable Persons are expected to demonstrate an ongoing, evidenced process rather than a single annual event. Our article on Building Safety Regulator enforcement in 2026 sets out what enforcement action currently looks like for buildings that fall behind.

What Happens If You Miss a Review

An overdue fire risk assessment review is treated in much the same way as having no valid assessment at all if enforcement action follows a fire, a near miss, or a routine inspection. Fire and rescue authorities can issue enforcement notices, restrict the use of a building, or prosecute Responsible Persons who cannot show that reviews have been kept up to date. Beyond the legal risk, an outdated assessment also weakens the evidence base for insurance claims. Our guide on staying legally compliant with fire risk assessment requirements covers what duty holders need in place to avoid this position.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed by law?

The law does not set a fixed number of months. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the assessment to be reviewed regularly, and most premises use an annual cycle as their working default, with earlier reviews carried out whenever a trigger event occurs.

Does every business need to review its fire risk assessment every year?

An annual review is the sensible default for most commercial premises, but the right frequency depends on the building's risk profile. Higher-occupancy or higher-hazard sites may need more frequent checks, while very low-risk premises may be able to justify a slightly longer interval if nothing has changed.

What counts as a significant change that triggers a review?

Common trigger events include a change in how the building is used, new or vulnerable occupants, a fire or near miss, changes to hazardous material storage, enforcement action, and refurbishment work that affects escape routes or compartmentation.

Who is legally responsible for reviewing a fire risk assessment?

The Responsible Person is legally accountable, which can be an employer, building owner, landlord, or managing agent. This responsibility remains even when a competent contractor is appointed to carry out the physical assessment.

Do higher-risk buildings have different review requirements?

Yes. Higher-risk buildings fall under the Building Safety Regulator's oversight, and fire risk assessment review frequency is expected to align with the ongoing Safety Case Report process rather than a single annual check.

What happens if a fire risk assessment is not reviewed on time?

An overdue review is treated similarly to having no valid assessment in place. This can lead to enforcement notices, restrictions on how the building is used, and weakened standing in the event of an insurance claim.

Can the same assessor review and update an existing fire risk assessment?

Yes, and in most cases this is the most efficient approach. A competent assessor who understands the building's history can confirm what has changed since the last review and update only the sections that need it, rather than starting from scratch.