Fire risk assessments in Barnet
Fire risk assessments and fire safety servicing in Colindale, Hendon, Finchley, Golders Green, Edgware, Burnt Oak, Chipping Barnet and Friern Barnet.
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T&T Fire Safety carries out fire risk assessments across Barnet for freeholders, residents’ management companies, managing agents, HMO landlords and local businesses. The borough runs from the Victorian streets of Cricklewood and Finchley to the new apartment districts of Colindale and the suburban semis of Edgware, so buildings vary a great deal between postcodes.
The London Fire Brigade enforces fire safety law in Barnet, while the council deals with housing standards and licensing. Alongside assessments we inspect fire doors and service fire alarms, emergency lighting and smoke ventilation in the shared parts of blocks and HMOs.
Where we work in Barnet
- Colindale
- Hendon
- West Hendon
- Golders Green
- Childs Hill
- Cricklewood
- Finchley
- East Finchley
- Friern Barnet
- Edgware
- Burnt Oak
- Mill Hill
- Chipping Barnet
- New Southgate
From suburban semis to Colindale’s new blocks
Much of Barnet was built between the wars as semi-detached and terraced family housing. Many of those houses have since been divided into flats or let room by room, often with a loft conversion added along the way. A three-storey shared house of this kind depends on a single staircase, and once the original doors have been swapped for lightweight or glazed ones there may be little to stop smoke reaching it. In flat conversions, the floors between flats and boxed-in service risers are other weak points.
Colindale has changed faster than most of outer London. The Grahame Park estate is being rebuilt by Notting Hill Genesis with Barnet Council in a programme the council puts at around 4,000 new homes, and former institutional sites nearby now hold apartment blocks well above 11 metres. Newer blocks bring their own checks: smoke ventilation and AOV systems, fire stopping where services pass through compartment walls, and the height-based duties under the 2022 Regulations.
Property licensing in Barnet
Barnet Council runs a borough-wide additional licensing scheme for HMOs that began on 27 October 2022 and is due to end on 27 October 2027. It covers smaller shared houses below the mandatory threshold, so a house let to three or four people from more than one household normally needs a licence, and larger HMOs need a mandatory licence.
Selective licensing has had a longer road. The council approved a first phase for Burnt Oak, Colindale North and Colindale South, but its start was delayed, and in February 2026 Cabinet agreed a fresh consultation on a selective scheme for ten wards, including West Hendon, Golders Green, Cricklewood, Childs Hill and Friern Barnet. We have not seen a confirmed start date, so check the current position with the council before letting a single-household property in those wards.
Fire safety law in England
The law that applies to Barnet’s blocks and HMOs
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places the duty on the responsible person: usually the freeholder, managing agent or HMO landlord who controls the shared parts. For a Barnet house split into flats, the Fire Safety Act 2021 means the assessment has to consider the building’s structure, its external walls and each front door opening onto the common stair, not only the hallway itself. The findings must be written down in full, as every responsible person has had to since 1 October 2023.
Colindale’s taller blocks also come under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. Where the top storey is above 11 metres, communal fire doors need checking at least every three months and flat entrance doors at least once a year on a best-endeavours basis; at 18 metres or seven storeys the building also needs a secure information box, wayfinding signs and plans shared with the London Fire Brigade. Every block with two or more flats must give residents fire safety instructions at least once a year.
Fire safety services in Barnet
Fire Risk Assessments
On-site fire risk assessments with written reports and prioritised action plans.
Fire Door Inspections
Fire door inspections with door-by-door records, identified defects and recommended actions.
Fire Alarm Servicing & Installation
Fire alarm servicing, installation and system alterations for residential and commercial premises.
Emergency Lighting Servicing & Installation
Emergency-lighting testing, servicing and installation for residential and commercial premises.
AOV & Smoke Control Servicing
Servicing and functional testing of automatic opening vents and associated smoke-control systems.
Get a free quote in Barnet
Fire safety in Barnet: FAQs
My shared house in Finchley has three tenants. Does it need a licence?
If the three tenants form more than one household, it is an HMO within Barnet’s additional licensing scheme, which runs to 27 October 2027. The common parts should also be covered by a fire risk assessment; our landlords and HMOs page explains what that involves.
Is selective licensing in force in Burnt Oak and Colindale?
Not as far as we can find. The first phase was approved but delayed, and the council consulted again in 2026 on a ten-ward scheme. Check Barnet Council’s licensing pages for the latest decision before you let.
Our Colindale block has an AOV system. Does it need servicing?
Yes. The Fire Safety Order requires fire safety equipment to be kept in efficient working order, and smoke ventilation is part of how the stair is kept usable for escape and firefighting. See our AOV and smoke control servicing page.
Who is the responsible person in a converted house with a share of freehold?
Usually the freehold company, acting through its directors or a managing agent. Where several people share control, each has duties for the parts they control and they must co-operate. Our guide Do I need a fire risk assessment? explains how control decides who is responsible.
Nearby areas
All areas we coverSources
- Barnet Council: changes to property licensing including HMOs
- Barnet Council Cabinet: private sector housing licensing scheme (2026)
- Barnet Council: Grahame Park regeneration
- Fire Safety Act 2021, s.1 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (legislation.gov.uk)
- GOV.UK: fire safety responsibilities under section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022
Licensing schemes change. Check the current position with your council before relying on this page.