Sertus analysis highlights trends in fire safety inspections and compliance

Inspections data shows rising unsatisfactory fire safety audit outcomes

Nearly half of all fire safety inspections in the UK were assessed as unsatisfactory in 2024/25, according to government statistics analysed by Sertus.

Figures published on GOV.UK and examined by Sertus show that 42% of the 51,026 fire safety audits conducted during the year were found to be unsatisfactory, with 21,312 audits identifying fire safety concerns.

Formal notices issued to premises owners also increased, reaching 2,990 in 2024/25 compared with 2,044 in 2016/17.

Unsatisfactory audit findings have risen steadily over eight years, increasing from 17,320 in 2016/17 to 21,312 in 2024/25, representing a 23% rise.

The number of formal enforcement notices issued during the same period increased by 46%.

The dataset also shows that only around 2% of the more than 2.5 million premises requiring regular audits receive inspections each year.

Premises requiring audits are expected to be assessed by a competent person approximately every three years.

Sertus links inspection trends to regulatory changes and scrutiny

Sertus attributed the increase in unsatisfactory inspections to regulatory reforms introduced following the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Richard White, Commercial Director at Sertus, said: “While the statistics may be alarming on the face of it, I’d argue that the increase is likely happening because of the implementation of the Building Safety Regulator and new legislation.

“There is a proper process in place now, and there wasn’t before.

“More people are beginning to understand what good looks like when it comes to fire safety and are picking up the pieces from sloppy auditing in the past.”

White added: “The spotlight has been firmly placed on high-risk buildings due to the failings that led to the Grenfell tragedy.

“The failings stem from a de-regulated building culture that stems back many years, meaning that we have been through decades of design and build which has largely happened without 3rd party inspection.

“There’s been a change in recent years to more rigorous focus on the design stage, before building commences, so we’d expect future projects to adhere to fire safety standards far better than those constructed in years gone by.”

The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced stricter regulatory requirements for higher risk buildings, while the Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that responsible persons must manage and reduce fire risks relating to building structures, external walls and common areas.

These legislative changes expanded audit scope, strengthened enforcement powers and increased documentation and information sharing requirements, contributing to broader inspection coverage and enforcement activity.