Anticipating Change: Why These New BS Fire Safety Standards are Critical for Compliance in 2025

20th November 2025

For property professionals, landlords, and building owners, understanding fire safety in the UK is an ongoing responsibility. As regulations change, so too must the industry standards that underpin them. In 2025, a crucial set of updated and new British Standards (BS) is set to redefine best practice, particularly across residential and high-risk properties.

At Fire Stoppers, we believe in providing clarity and expertise. These new standards are not merely administrative changes; they represent a significant step toward ensuring safer buildings, raising competence across the sector, and delivering greater protection for the things you value most.

Here is a breakdown of four major British Standards updates and why they are essential to your compliance strategy.

1. Residential Fire Risk Assessments: Raising the Bar (BS 9792:2025)

The new BS 9792:2025 for residential fire risk assessments is poised to standardise how fire risk is evaluated in blocks of flats and other multi-occupancy residential premises.

Previously, fire risk assessments (FRAs) in residential buildings could sometimes lack consistency. This new standard addresses that by establishing clear, robust criteria for assessors to follow. For the "Responsible Person" (be it a landlord, estate agent, or property manager), this means a higher quality of assessment, with more thorough identification of hazards in common areas, essential structural elements (like compartmentation), and means of escape. Adopting this standard is the clearest way to demonstrate diligence and ensure the safety of every resident.

2. Establishing Assessor Competence: Eliminating Guesswork (BS 8674:2025)

Perhaps the most significant change is the introduction of BS 8674:2025, which establishes a comprehensive competency framework for fire risk assessors.

As providers of BAFE-accredited Fire Risk Assessments, we understand that the quality of the assessor directly dictates the quality of the report. This new standard creates a unified benchmark for knowledge, experience, and professional conduct across the industry. This is excellent news for our clients: it acts as a safeguard against unqualified practitioners. By choosing a provider committed to this new competence standard, you are choosing an expert whose judgment and findings can be trusted completely by regulators, insurers, and residents.

3. Updated Fire Detection and Alarms: The Core of Your Defence (BS 5839-1:2025)

The fire detection and alarm system remains the first line of defence in any commercial or multi-occupancy building. The revised BS 5839-1:2025 is set to update the guidelines for the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of these systems.

This revision will reflect advancements in technology and lessons learned from past incidents. For property owners, this means ensuring your fire alarm systems are not only operational but are installed and maintained to the highest possible standard, reducing false alarms and guaranteeing reliable detection when it matters most. Working with a qualified partner like Fire Stoppers ensures your alarm system meets these new, stringent guidelines from design right through to ongoing maintenance.

4. Retrofit Assessments in Domestic Dwellings (BS 40104:2025)

While focused on domestic properties, BS 40104:2025 for retrofit assessments is important for landlords and social housing providers. This standard addresses the safety implications of making energy-efficiency and other structural improvements to existing dwellings.

When changes are made to a building's structure, such as installing external wall insulation or new windows, it can inadvertently affect compartmentation or means of escape. This standard ensures that fire safety is properly assessed before and after such work, preventing potentially catastrophic breaches of fire-stopping and ensuring that retrofit projects do not compromise the fire safety of tenants.

Moving Forward: Assurance and Compliance

The introduction of these new British Standards reinforces the legal duty of the "Responsible Person." They signify a new era of heightened professionalism and clarity in fire safety.

At Fire Stoppers, we are committed to upholding these new benchmarks. Our extensive range of services ensures that whether you require a BAFE-accredited Fire Risk Assessment, a fire alarm system designed to the latest BS 5839-1 standards, or expert fire stopping, you receive clear, professional service that protects your assets and gives you complete peace of mind.