Rented flat in building, all fire escapes are padlocked shut

jerusalem2006

I've just moved into a rented flat in a large block of over 100 flats. One of my neighbours introduced herself and told me that the managing agents have locked the fire exits. I went up to check and sure enough, the doors have big chains and padlocks on them and a message saying you need to contact the managing agents for access. Surely the whole point of fire exits is that you can get out of them quickly.

Are they allowed to do this?

I tried contacting them but they do not respond to messages. What can I do as I have a child and am worried that if there is an emergency (the building is quite old and not well managed) we wouldn't be able to escape.

poppysarah

Ring your local fire station - probably tomorrow now - and ask to speak to the fire safety officer.
The number isn't 999 - it's in the phone book! (or maybe the internet)

He'll come out and have a look for you. And if something needs doing - it'll get done!

The fire brigade would rather know about it before they need to.

Sonofa

I can't immediately think of which council department you should call, so I would suggest talking to your local fire station.

I'm quite sure they would only be too happy to get things moving for you.

Since this IS an immediate risk to life they may even come round and bolt crop the padlocks today.

Someone is in for it.

PasturesNew

That is completely illegal, so you need to get it in the hands of the fire brigade urgently. They will probably cut the chains immediately with their bolt croppers.

FROSTYFRECKLE

Hi,

Just asked hubby (retired fire-fighter), it certainly is not allowed under the Fire Precautions Act 1971. Call up your local fire station - now. You will find the number on the Fire Service website.

paddy's_mum

I am just staggered that your neighbour should show you what the problem is but has (apparently) done nothing to get the situation resolved - fear of retaliatory eviction, yet again?

If there are, as you say, 100 flats, and you all start shouting and protesting together, surely it is more than any landlord, managing agent, freeholder dares to do to keep these fire escapes locked.

Security reasons aren't enough - it is surely not beyond the wit or intelligence of the owners to be able to fit one way locks so that intruders can't get up but the residents can get down.

I survived a serious housefire by the skin of my teeth and this post is going to give me a poor night's sleep!

jerusalem2006

paddy's_mum wrote: »

I am just staggered that your neighbour should show you what the problem is but has (apparently) done nothing to get the situation resolved - fear of retaliatory eviction, yet again?

If there are, as you say, 100 flats, and you all start shouting and protesting together, surely it is more than any landlord, managing agent, freeholder dares to do to keep these fire escapes locked.

Security reasons aren't enough - it is surely not beyond the wit or intelligence of the owners to be able to fit one way locks so that intruders can't get up but the residents can get down.

I survived a serious housefire by the skin of my teeth and this post is going to give me a poor night's sleep!

When I spoke to my neighbour she said the management agency are 'dodgy' and that she thinks they lock the fire escapes because freeholders were using their own plumbers to fix plumbing problems whereas the management agency wants all freeholders to use their plumbers who are much more expensive and that the management agency try lots of things to get more money out of the freeholders. I'm not a freeholder but I don't want to rub the management agency up the wrong way as they do sound quite dodgy, I just want the fire doors unlocked. Will call the fire brigade tomorrow.

Mum_of_3_3

I'm sure if you explain your concerns about retaliation to the firemen, they will be able to say it was an anonymous contact if the management company ask them who called them.

If the management company are that dodgy they may well chain the fire escapes again, if they do keep phoning the fire department until they stop doing it.

I would've thought however, that the fire department will not be happy that the escapes are blocked and will take some course of action to ensure it doesn't happen again.

M_o_3

tbs624

Under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, fire risk assessments have to be carried out and it is also specified that:

Emergency routes and exits
14 (2) (f) emergency doors must not be so locked or fastened that they cannot be easily and immediately opened by any person who may require to use them in an emergency;

The block management must be able to show when they last undertook a fire risk assessment.

Sonofa

tbs624 wrote: »

Under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, fire risk assessments have to be carried out and it is also specified that:

Emergency routes and exits

14 (2) (f) emergency doors must not be so locked or fastened that they cannot be easily and immediately opened by any person who may require to use them in an emergency;

The block management must be able to show when they last undertook a fire risk assessment.

Whilst your point is informative, it is also moot. The OP has stated that the fire exit doors have been chained and padlocked.

This kind of building used to have to be passed by a fire officer and issued with a certificate. In recent years the onus has been passed on to the building owner to self-cert their building. I'm sure that in most cases the building owner has used the services of one of the many new consultancies offering this service (plenty ex-firemen out there) I'd be interested to see their last report.

tbs624

Sonofa wrote: »

Whilst your point is informative, it is also moot. The OP has stated that the fire exit doors have been chained and padlocked.

This kind of building used to have to be passed by a fire officer and issued with a certificate. In recent years the onus has been passed on to the building owner to self-cert their building. I'm sure that in most cases the building owner has used the services of one of the many new consultancies offering this service (plenty ex-firemen out there) I'd be interested to see their last report.

Thanks for your comment -however you seem to have taken your own interpretation of my post and run with it.

I had indeed noted what the OP had said about the doors: hence the reason for my post.The management would not have been able to sanction locking off emergency routes by approving it within their fire safety assessments but that they *have * to be able to show what they have done on fire safety issues and the leaseholders are entitled to see those assessments.

My post was intended as a statement of the legal requirements, ie, which Order was applicable to this type of building, & the fact that there must be FSRAs, so that the OP could use this to get things moving.

If there are also no up-to-date fire safety risk assessments then the management group will clearly be failing in the background responsibilities, not just by their physical action locking off of the fire doors: both omissions and actions that the insurance company would have cause to comment on.