The Block Compliance Calendar: EICR, FRA, LOLER & L8 Explained
Statutory compliance for a residential block isn’t one big job — it’s a calendar of recurring checks, each on its own cycle, each with its own certificate. Miss one and the gap sits there quietly until an incident, a sale, or an enforcement visit finds it. Here is the core calendar, in plain English.
Fire
- Fire risk assessment (FRA) — the foundation document. It must be reviewed regularly and whenever the building changes; many blocks review annually as good practice. Its recommended actions are where most real risk hides.
- Fire alarm system — typically a weekly test of a call point plus periodic servicing (commonly six-monthly) by a competent engineer.
- Emergency lighting — a short monthly function test and a full annual duration test.
- Fire doors — the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced routine checks: broadly, quarterly checks of communal fire doors and annual checks of flat entrance doors in buildings above 11 metres.
Gas
- Landlord gas safety — where the block has communal gas appliances or plant (a communal boiler, for example), an annual gas safety inspection and certificate by a Gas Safe registered engineer is required. Gas inside individual flats is usually the leaseholder’s responsibility.
Electrical
- EICR (fixed-wire testing) — the Electrical Installation Condition Report for communal electrical systems, generally at least every five years or as the previous report advises.
- PAT / portable appliances — any communal portable equipment tested at a sensible interval based on use.
- Emergency lighting and lightning protection where present also sit in the electrical family.
Water
- Legionella / L8 — a legionella risk assessment for communal water systems, reviewed periodically (commonly around every two years, or sooner if things change), with ongoing monitoring such as temperature checks and tank inspections. “L8” is the HSE code of practice that sets the standard.
Lifts and plant
- LOLER thorough examination — passenger lifts generally need a six-monthly thorough examination by a competent person, on top of routine maintenance.
- Other plant — pumps, pressurisation units, gates and communal equipment carry their own servicing schedules.
Asbestos
- Asbestos management — blocks built before 2000 typically need a management survey, an asbestos register, and a management plan that is reviewed at least annually. The duty is to manage asbestos in the common parts, not necessarily to remove it.
Why a calendar beats a folder
The trouble isn’t any single item — it’s holding all of them, on different cycles, across a building, as a volunteer board. That’s exactly where things slip: a lift examination that lapsed, an FRA action never closed, a legionella review that quietly expired.
Our statutory compliance service puts every one of these obligations on a single schedule with live status — green when it’s in date and certified, flagged when something needs attention — so the answer to “is this building compliant?” is always one glance away. If you’re a director trying to get on top of the list, our self-managed block checklist is a good next read, or book a compliance review and we’ll map your building’s calendar for you.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Exact frequencies depend on your building, its equipment and current regulations and guidance; always verify against up-to-date requirements.