Urgent Fire Risk Assessments
Updated September 2026 · England and Wales
Short answer: most “urgent” fire risk assessments are driven by a deadline, such as a licence application, a flat sale or a letter from the fire service. Tell us the date you’re working to. We aim to come back with a quote within one working day, and most assessments can be booked within one to two weeks, sooner where a local assessor has availability. If you’ve been served a prohibition notice, contact the fire service that issued it straight away as well.
When you need a fire risk assessment quickly, the useful question isn’t “how fast can someone come?” but “what is my real deadline, and what will satisfy it?” Sometimes the answer is an assessment this week. Sometimes it’s an existing document you already have access to. And sometimes, as the posts below show, you don’t need one at all.
We won’t promise a date we can’t keep. This page sets out the real deadlines, how long each stage realistically takes, and how to speed it up.
How urgent is it really?
| What’s happened | Your real deadline | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Prohibition notice from the fire service | Can take effect immediately | Stop the prohibited use now. Speak to the inspecting officer. An appeal does not pause a prohibition notice unless a court directs it. |
| Enforcement notice from the fire service | At least 28 days, as stated on the notice | Read exactly what it requires and by when. You have 21 days to appeal if you disagree. Failing to comply is a criminal offence. |
| HMO licence application or renewal | Your application date | Check your council’s checklist. Some, such as Oxford, require you to confirm a fire risk assessment has been done. |
| Selling or remortgaging a flat | Your exchange or completion date | Ask the managing agent for the building’s assessment first. The standard leasehold enquiries form asks whether one has been completed. |
| Insurer, landlord or new lease asking for one | Renewal or move-in date | Confirm exactly what they need: a new assessment, a review, or a copy of the existing one. |
| Starting to take paying guests | Before the first booking | Holiday lets need a fire risk assessment before guests arrive, even for one night. See our landlords guide. |
| After a fire, a false alarm pattern or building work | As soon as practicable | Your existing assessment must be reviewed after any significant change. |
Notice periods from the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: article 30 (enforcement notices, “not being less than 28 days”), article 31 (prohibition notices), article 35 (appeals “within 21 days”) and article 32 (offences).
Check you actually need a new one
A surprising number of urgent requests come from flat sales and mortgages, and many of them don’t need a new assessment at all.
“Our solicitors are saying that the lender (Barclay’s) are demanding a fire risk assessment (FRA) before proceeding.”
Flat buyer part-way through a purchase, MoneySavingExpert forum, March 2025
The council had told them the flat didn’t qualify, because there were no communal areas. Forum members agreed: with no shared parts, the Fire Safety Order doesn’t apply. The practical fix was for the solicitor to put that to the lender in writing, and to ask the broker about other lenders if it stalled. If your flat has its own front door to the street and nothing shared, get that confirmed before paying for an assessment nobody can legally require.
“the lender is requesting that I provide evidence that the building meets fire regulations before they will approve my mortgage application”
Flat buyer, MoneySavingExpert forum, September 2019
The first reply pointed out that “The Fire Risk Assessment report is contained within the Leasehold Management Pack that the seller’s solicitor has to obtain”. In a block of flats, the assessment belongs to the freeholder or managing agent, so the quickest route is usually a copy of theirs. Commissioning your own assessment of a building you don’t control rarely helps.
How fast it can realistically happen
Five things that make an urgent assessment faster
- Give us your deadline and what it’s for. A licence application, a lender and a fire service notice need slightly different things.
- Arrange access to everything: plant rooms, risers, lofts, cupboards and any locked areas. Rooms that can’t be inspected are recorded as not inspected, which may not satisfy whoever asked for the report.
- Have your records ready. Fire services ask to see your fire risk assessment, fire safety log book, training and drill records, and test and maintenance records for alarms, emergency lighting and extinguishers. An assessor will want the same.
- Send the previous assessment if there is one. A review is usually quicker and cheaper than starting from scratch.
- Be available on the day, or have someone there who knows the building and how it’s used.
If you’ve been served a notice
- Don’t ignore it. Not complying with an enforcement or prohibition notice is a criminal offence in its own right.
- Read the deadline and the steps. An enforcement notice must give you at least 28 days and should say what needs fixing.
- Talk to the inspecting officer. Fire services would rather see progress than prosecute, and they can often explain what would satisfy them.
- Appeal within 21 days if you disagree. An appeal pauses an enforcement notice, but not a prohibition notice.
- Get a competent assessment and a dated action plan, then keep records of every step you complete.
The prosecutions on our offices, flats and care homes guides have one thing in common: many followed notices that were ignored.
Urgent fire risk assessments: quick answers
Can I get a fire risk assessment this week?
Often, yes, depending on your location and the type of building. Tell us your deadline when you request a quote and we will say honestly what’s possible.
How long does a fire risk assessment report take?
The visit itself takes from under an hour to a day depending on the building. The written report typically follows within a few working days, and the assessor can usually share the main findings on the day.
How long do I have to comply with an enforcement notice?
At least 28 days from the date it was served, and the notice itself states the exact period. You can appeal to the magistrates’ court within 21 days.
Does an urgent assessment cost more?
Not usually for a normal booking. The price depends mainly on the size and type of building. See our cost guide for typical prices.
My mortgage lender wants a fire risk assessment. Do I need one?
If you’re buying a flat in a block, the building’s assessment is held by the freeholder or managing agent and should come through the seller’s solicitor. If the flat has no shared parts, the Fire Safety Order may not apply at all, so ask your solicitor to confirm that to the lender.
What documents should I have ready?
Any previous fire risk assessment, your fire safety log book, fire alarm, emergency lighting and extinguisher servicing records, and staff training and drill records.
Tell Us Your Deadline
Give us the property type, its size and the date you’re working to. We aim to come back within one working day with a price and honest availability.
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