8:20 AM, 19th March 2026, 2 months ago< 
img width =”768″height =”768″src =”https://www.property118.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/failed-checks-768×768.jpeg”alt=”Stopped working fire extinguisher examination highlighting non-compliance in structure fire security”/ > Landlords and block supervisors are dealing with extensive non-compliance throughout purpose-built flats, with audit data demonstrating how often fire security standards are being missed.
Figures launched from Fire and Rescue Service assessments and evaluated by Drax Technology reveal that 45% of audited structures stopped working to meet required requirements.
That equates to 1,923 out of 4,257 blocks over four floors examined in between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.
Those assessments cover just 120,000 structures of this type throughout England with each audit being recorded as either ‘satisfying’ or ‘unacceptable’.
PRS record keeping
The company’s group product director, David Simpson, said: “Blocked escape routes, failing emergency lighting and faulty alarms are frequently lowered maintenance lists until a fire exposes the terrible repercussions.
“Under the Building Safety Act, compliance can no longer be presumed, it should be shown.
“Structure managers throughout BTR, the PRS and social housing, now need clear proof of what was examined, when and by whom.”
He included: “Gaps in record-keeping represent a severe functional, financial, and regulative danger.”
Mr Simpson went on to say that was stunned to discover that 34% of skyscrapers of 10 floors or more received an unsatisfactory audit.
He stated: “High-rise buildings present higher dangers since firefighter gain access to is more intricate, so robust and consistent fire precaution are vital.
“The market should step up and do much better.”
Accountable person for compliance
Responsibility for fire security sits with the designated ‘Accountable Person’, who should ensure compliance is maintained.
That consists of where structural changes or changes have happened and their responsibility does not stop once an audit is total.
Enforcement action followed with 20 structures receiving prohibition notices.
That restricts the use of all or part of the premises due to major and instant risks to life, including exposed wiring determined as a fire danger.
Enforcement notifications released
Drax likewise states that in six cases, prosecutions were pursued after failures to perform needed restorative work.
Together with this, 445 enforcement notifications were issued, requiring defects to be addressed within set timeframes.
Less major breaches were managed in a different way, with Fire and Rescue Services issuing informal alerts where suitable.
The previous year saw 49% of structures being marked as ‘unacceptable’, according to the exact same dataset.