Section 20 Fire safety works: Are they really necessary?
- Richard Kirby
- Aug 15
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Section 20 Fire safety works - could an independent review save you money?
Service charges for leaseholders have risen significantly in recent years, with fire safety remedial works sometimes adding thousands of pounds to an individual leaseholder’s bill.
At 20A Limited, we want to make one thing absolutely clear from the outset:
Fire safety is of the utmost importance.
We want every building to be safe. Where essential fire safety work is identified, it must be undertaken. Defects that could put residents at risk, compromise escape routes or undermine the fire strategy of a building should not be ignored simply because the work is expensive.
However, there is another side to this issue.
Leaseholders need to understand what work is actually required, why it is required and, importantly, who is responsible for paying for it.
There is a significant difference between:
Essential fire safety work that needs to be undertaken
Remedial work that can bring an existing installation back to the required standard
Recommendations intended to improve an existing situation
Best-practice enhancements that go beyond what is reasonably required
Unfortunately, these distinctions are not always made clear.
A recent example – £15,000 of proposed works
20A Limited was recently approached by a leaseholder who had received details of approximately £15,000 of proposed fire stopping and associated fire safety works to a small block containing five flats.
The leaseholders had been informed that the cost would be divided between them adding potentially around £3,000 per flat.
We independently reviewed the report and the recommendations.
Our assessment was that approximately £3,000 of the proposed works were necessary, while around £12,000 related to recommendations that could reasonably be considered improvements or best practice rather than essential remedial work.
That is a very significant difference.
An external bin-store door
One recommendation involved replacing an external bin-store door with a fire-resisting door because it was situated a few metres from the building entrance.
However, the bin-store door opened directly onto the street and the building had another available means of escape.
The individual circumstances therefore needed to be considered before concluding that replacement of the door was essential.
Could installing a fire door provide an additional level of protection? Possibly.
But an improvement is not automatically the same thing as a requirement.
Replacing satisfactory fire stopping
The same report recommended removing and replacing existing fire stopping that appeared to be satisfactorily installed.
One of the concerns was essentially that a small amount of additional fire-stopping mastic had been smeared onto the adjacent wall and could potentially cause confusion during a future inspection.
Improving identification and appearance may be worthwhile, but that is very different from telling leaseholders that an otherwise satisfactory installation needs to be removed and replaced.
Six flats told they needed six new fire doors
Another recent case involved a block containing six flats.
The leaseholders had been advised that all six flat entrance fire door sets required replacement.
Replacing six complete certified fire door sets can represent a substantial cost.
However, following further assessment, the existing doors did not all require replacement.
Appropriate remedial work to the existing fire doors was sufficient.
This is an important distinction.
Where an existing fire door can be repaired or adjusted to achieve an acceptable standard, complete replacement should not automatically be the starting point.
Equally, if a door is beyond economical repair or cannot provide the required level of protection, we would recommend replacement.
The decision should be based on the condition and performance of the individual door – not simply a blanket recommendation to replace everything.
Fire safety must be proportionate
Fire safety recommendations should be based on the actual building and the risk presented.
When 20A Limited reviews proposed works, we consider factors including:
The age and construction of the building
The existing fire precautions
The building's fire strategy
The evacuation policy
The number and type of occupants
The means of escape
Existing compartmentation and fire stopping
Fire door condition
Relevant legislation, standards and guidance
The actual risk to life
A recommendation that may be appropriate for one building is not automatically necessary in another.
Who should actually pay?
There is also a separate question that should not be overlooked:
Even where fire safety work is genuinely necessary, does that automatically mean the leaseholder should pay for it?
Not necessarily.
Responsibility for the cost can depend on several factors, including the terms of the lease, the nature and cause of the defect, statutory protections that may apply and the circumstances surrounding the work.
Therefore, there are really two separate questions leaseholders should consider:
1. Is the work actually necessary?
2. If it is necessary, who is legally responsible for paying for it?
These questions should not be confused.
20A Limited can provide independent advice on the fire safety necessity and proportionality of proposed works. Where the dispute concerns liability under a lease or statutory protection from particular costs, appropriate legal or specialist leasehold advice may also be required.
Section 20 notice? Ask questions
20A Limited is increasingly being asked to review fire safety reports and specifications associated with Section 20 consultation notices.
Receiving a formal notice containing a substantial schedule of works can understandably make leaseholders believe that everything listed must be completed.
That is not necessarily the case.
Before substantial expenditure is committed, leaseholders are entitled to ask reasonable questions:
Why is this work required?
What legislation, standard or guidance supports the recommendation?
Is the work essential, or is it an improvement or best-practice recommendation?
Can the existing installation be repaired rather than completely replaced?
Are there other proportionate ways of addressing the risk?
And, separately:
Who is actually responsible for paying for the work?
Independent fire safety advice for leaseholders
If you are concerned about proposed fire safety works, 20A Limited can provide an independent assessment.
Depending on the circumstances, we can visit the property, meet with leaseholders and discuss their concerns.
We can review documentation including:
Fire Risk Assessments
Fire stopping reports
Fire door inspection reports
Schedules of remedial works
Section 20 documentation relating to proposed fire safety works
Most importantly, we look at the building itself, rather than considering individual recommendations in isolation.
Our aim is to establish what work is genuinely required to maintain an appropriate level of fire safety and what may instead be an improvement or best-practice recommendation.
Safe buildings – proportionate solutions
Our position is simple.
Every resident deserves to live in a fire-safe building.
Necessary fire safety work should be undertaken, and genuine deficiencies should never be ignored simply to save money.
But good fire safety management is not about recommending the maximum amount of work possible.
It is about identifying the risks, understanding the building and recommending appropriate and proportionate solutions that protect life.
Leaseholders should be able to understand what they are being asked to pay for and why.
Fire safety should always come first – but every recommendation should have a reason.
Received a Section 20 notice or substantial fire safety bill?
If you are a leaseholder and have received a Section 20 notice, Fire Risk Assessment, fire stopping report, fire door inspection report or schedule of remedial fire safety works and are unsure what is actually required, contact 20A Limited.
We can independently review the reports, visit the property where appropriate and help you understand what needs to be done, what may simply be best practice and what questions you should be asking.
Richard Kirby – 20aLimited Email: richard@20alimited.com
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