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Reference: 38 | Received: 16 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: Would like clarification what the survey is and whether the fire door is being replaced. Please can someone contact me.
Reply: Thank you for your comment. A colleague will call you back.
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Reference: 37 | Received: 16 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: We have reviewed our records and note that the property, (address), in Bletchley is a house/single dwelling, occupied with a single tenancy. There are no communal spaces within this property.
Would your subcontractor still need to attend to the property on this basis to complete the surveys instructed by the Council, noting that this a private house with no ‘communal’ areas.
Reply: Thank you for your email. We don't expect to have to survey the property.
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Reference: 36 | Received: 16 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: Dear team, I am (name) the director of (Company). I got your letter however there is no address mentioned in the letter. We have more than one property therefore I cannot understand why this letter has been sent to us. If this is related to (Address) then:
- First of all this property is not owned by (Company). My family owns it so it is on personal name.
- Secondly (Address) is detached house not flat nor HMO so the house doesn’t need fire door
Reply: Thank you for your observation. With regards to the letter, it is sent to all residents to be advised that we are entering into a Qualifying Long Term Agreement with the contractor. As stated in the letter, costs will only be charged for associated surveys where they are required.
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Reference: 35 | Received: 16 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: I am writing to you as you have sent a letter dated 19/05/2025 which has said you have until 18/06/2025 to respond with observations. I have observed that the proposal is to inspect the communal doors quarterly, however, this seems excessive and therefore an unnecessary cost that is not reasonable to pass on. This is because the maisonette is situated in a block which is less than 11m tall and so only requires annual checks as per The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. Can you please respond acknowledging that the block is less than 11m tall and, therefore, you will adjust to only perform annual surveys ensuring there is not unnecessary cost passed on?
Reply: Thank you for your observation. Inspections will only be carried out in line with regulations and requirements.
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Reference: 34 | Received: 16 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: Thank you for your letter dated 19 May 2025. Unfortunately I did not understand what is the reason for it, I did receive it for first time and my support worker is in holiday and when she is back has all fully booked for two weeks. Please can you call me with the mobile no I will provide you, but I need Arabic interpreter for the call.
Reply: Thank you for your comment. A colleage will call you back.
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Reference: 33 | Received: 16 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: Dear Sirs, Thank you for your email below, with the greatest of respect you have not answered my queries?
From the letter you sent to us from my understanding you are instructing a new survey to inspect the flat entrance fire doors as well as the communal areas including the Entrance door? if I am incorrect please can you clarify and tell me why this was not carried out before the NEW current doors which you are in the process of fitting and which you have told us as leaseholders we must have fitted to comply with current regulations.
From my understanding from the works that are currently being carried out you had already carried out full surveys to the common parts and tenants/freeholders flat doors to identify doors that did not comply with current legislation, the surveys also included looking at the communal lights and smoke alarms. This would make great sense as it would not have been good practice to NOT have done surveys for these works in advance of replacing the fire doors, you have a duty of care to do this as well as a duty to make sure you do not overcharge or waste Leaseholders/tenants money, this should be just as important as making sure you comply with legislation.
Please can you clarify exactly what these new surveys are for as it is not at all clear from your email of today Please can you clarify.
Reply: Thank you for your email. We have an ongoing duty to carry our regular inspections of fire doors that are installed in our properties to ensure that they remain compliant. Therefore we will not be surveying the doors that are currently being fitted, as they will be correct. However, we will inspect them going forward.
The new contractor will be responsible for carrying out these inspections moving forward. All flat entrance fire doors will be inspected annually and all communal doors will be inspected every 3 months to ensure that MKCC meet it statutory requirements by ensuring that the fire doors that are installed remain compliant and function as they are intended to reduce the risk of fire and smoke spread, and to protect fire escape routes.
We can confirm that prior to the any recent fire door being replaced, a survey has already been completed that identified the door as not being compliant. Hope this answers your questions.
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Reference: 32 | Received: 16 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: I've set up an appointment with mears to fix a bad installation which was set on the 20th of May, but they never showed up and the fire door still has problems. I've forwarded the email chain for the appointment. Are you able to contact mears for me about this, find the reasons why they didn't show up, and reschedule an appointment.
Reply: Thank you for your email. I believe colleagues have contacted you to resolve.
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Reference: 31 | Received: 16 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: I am writing on behalf of my aged parents, (name redacted) I am their son and my parents have asked me to seek clarification regarding a letter they received, dated 19th May 2025, regarding survey of fire doors.
My Mum has got it into her head that she could well be faced with a large financial outlay as their semi-detached private home does not and has never had fire doors fitted.
My parents have lived at this address for the last 38+ years and this is the first notification they have received that fire doors may be required at their property!!
My parents are 78 years old. My Mum, in particular, has ongoing mental conditions. She has convinced herself that she is going to have to find money for these fire doors and their fitting. She further states that because she has been on a fixed income for many years she will not be able to do so.
I have read this two page letter and drawn the conclusion that since this letter makes numerous references to doors opening onto communal areas and residential communal areas that it does not apply to my parent's home, as no such areas exist. If I have interpreted your letter correctly would you be kind enough to write to my parents to put their minds at rest.
Additionally, if you could telephone them and provide them with speedy good news, this would, I am sure, alleviate their immediate concerns and worries. However, I have stressed to my parents that they should request your decision in writing and not to simply accept a verbal telephone instruction.
I do hope that you can assist my parents in this matter.
Reply: Thank you for getting in touch. We are sorry apologise for any stress/confusion caused.
The letter is issued to all tenants, leaseholders and shared owners as the Council may be required to carry out a fire door survey. The survey will only be carried out if a fire door exists. Typically this is front entrance doors in blocks of flats. And some doors in communal parts of blocks of flats. If over the next 3 years, we need to review a fire door, a separate appointment will be made with those who have a front entrance door that is their front door. We will also give you a ring on this.
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Reference: 30 | Received: 16 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: Hi, I recently received a letter in relation to 'Appointing a new contractor to survey Fire Doors'. After the initial lengthy consultation to enter into the agreement with your chosen contractor, can you clarify a few points.
- What is the specific reason as to why you have now decided to change to a different supplier...?
- The fire doors which have already been fitted (clearly you have spotted something wrong with the initial company, hence the direct question above), therefore have these doors been made to specification and correctly fitted..? i.e will these have to be re-inspected again...?
- If these doors have been incorrectly made/fitted, who will be responsible for the bill to resolve these issues..?
If you can clarify the above, as one of my properties has already had a new Fire Door fitted, by your previous chosen contractor.
Reply: Thank you for your email. As a landlord MKCC have an ongoing duty to ensure that fire doors remain compliant and as such must have an ongoing inspection regime in place to carry out these inspections.
These inspections have historically been carried out by a third party through our repairs and maintenance contractor. As you will be aware this contract was due for renewal and we have been in the process of procuring that contract.
When we consulted with residents on the new repairs and maintenance contract one of the things that tenants wanted was MKCC to have greater oversite and control over our contractors and their performance, as such it was decided that a number of the housing compliance contracts would be removed from the repairs and maintenance contract and delivered directly by MKCC including fire door surveys.
The reasons for delivering this contract directly was not due to any concerns with the current contract but to ensure we deliver in line with the expectations of our tenants by enabling us greater control and oversight of this contract to ensure that MKCC manage and meet all of its statutory requirements in these areas.
Should inspections carried out by the new contractor identify inadequate installations of fire doors carried out by the current contractor then these will be addressed with the contractor in line with the terms of their contract and costs would not be passed to tenants and leaseholders.
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Reference: 29 | Received: 16 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: Good afternoon I have a council property, I have received a letter from your company to arrange a new contractor to survey fire doors, please could you advise me if we book the appointment or your company contact me nearer the times.
Reply: Thank you for your email. This letter is just to advise that we are proposing this new contractor is awarded the contract. If your property needs to be surveyed, they will contact you nearer the time to arrange a suitable appointment.
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Reference: 27 | Received: 16 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: Dear Sirs, Re your letter dated 19 May 2025: We’re appointing a new contractor to survey fire doors. We own a number of properties (all leasehold flats) in [REDACTED].
We are currently in the middle of having all our front doors changed at vast cost (over £2000 per door) so I am perplexed as to why you are now sending Notice of Proposal Section 20 Landlord and Tenants Act 1985 letters to us about appointing new contractor to survey the fire doors and communal areas? Surely this should have been carried out BEFORE our front door were changed? Most communal doors were change a few years ago, again at vast cost to Leaseholders. I believe surveys have already been carried out at our blocks for some of the proposed works as some have had smoke alarms/communal lights upgraded/changed.
I have raised this concern with the Leasehold department as well as Mears who are carrying out the works on numerous occasion over the last few years regarding the costs and also why the works needed doing in the first place when all the blocks involved are under 4 storeys high? I can understand concerns for high rise blocks but all tenants should be able to vacate the [REDACTED] blocks within minutes of any alarm being raised. Therefore why is it now necessary to do more surveys now? This just seems like more added costs for Leaseholders especially but also Council tenants too.
Reply: Thank you for your email. As a landlord MKCC have an ongoing duty to ensure that fire doors remain compliant and as such must have an ongoing inspection regime in place to carry out these inspections.
This contractor will be responsible for carrying out those inspections in line with any statutory obligation that we have and in line with our fire risk assessments. Fire doors are important fire safety precautions that are in place to ensure that the risk of a fire and smoke spreading is reduced and that means of escape are protected.
Whilst the recent focus on fire risk in blocks has been to properties over 18m, there remains the requirement for fire doors in blocks below 4 storeys. These properties will have been designed to have fire doors in place and as such they must remain in place and be maintained.
Alternatively where we have carried out a fire risk assessment under the requirements of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, fire doors have been recommended as a suitable fire precaution to ensure that common parts are safe to use as a means of escape in the event of a fire by restricting the risk of fire and smoke spread.
This is in line with the Fire Safety Act 2021 which clarified that flat entrance doors must be considered as part of a fire risk assessment. The current fire door replacements that are taking place are the result of previous inspections identifying that the doors did not meet the current requirements for fire doors and required replacement.
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Reference: 26 | Received: 16 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: hi its ok new surveyor for fire door.
Reply: Thank you for your email, we appreciate you getting in touch.
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Reference: 24 | Received: 16 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: Please let me know a week in advance about your door inspection consultant's visit, this is because I have very frequent visits and check-ups with a doctor or in the hospital.
Reply: Thank you for your email. The new contractor will arrange appointments directly with you when your property is ready to be surveyed, and will be flexible around your appointments and provide suitable notice.
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Reference: 22 | Received: 3 June 2025 | Responded: 20 June 2025
Observation: I am not sure what “surveying” the fire doors actually entails. Please expand and let me know. If it means taking over from Mears for the fitting of new fire doors then YES, on the condition that Neo Property Solutions do not expensively and unnecessarily outsource to third parties and Fit the fire doors to the current FRA specifications for the building. Why don’t MKCC start/have their own department for repairs? Stop the third parties from profiting at the tax payers/ leaseholders expense.
Reply: Thank you for your comment. Fire door surveys are inspections which carried out in line with statutory obligations where by we have to check whether the door continues to meet its requirements.
The requirements under this new contract is for the new supplier to install the doors with their own staff unless pre-agreed by MKCC.
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Reference: 21 | Received: 3 June 2025 | Responded: 13 June 2025
Observation: Would it be possible to inform me regarding this matter (changing the front door to fire door) via my email address please as I am not living in the flat so I am not getting your letters. Thank you please confirm that this method of communication is possible if not that there is a chance that I as an owner of the flat might not know about your request or change.
Reply: Thank you for you comment. A colleague will contact you separately.
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Reference: 20 | Received: 2 June 2025 | Responded: 13 June 2025
Observation: I think is very good idea as they are so many case of fire at the moment and this door's will be a good idea.
Reply: Thank you for your comment.
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Reference: 18 | Received: 29 May 2025 | Responded: 5 June 2025
Observation: Yes still waiting to complete the fire window need to be changed in the communal stairs area 1st floor main entrance.
Reply: Thank you, we will look into this.
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Reference: 16 | Received: 27 May 2025 | Responded: 5 June 2025
Observation: I agree that we are having a proposal for our fire door to be checked.
Questions: are we going to be informed about time and date you are visiting?
Reply: Thank you for your comment. Yes, when a door needs to be surveyed, you will be contacted directly to make an appointment at a suitable time.
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Reference: 10 | Received: 22 May 2025 | Responded: 5 June 2025
Observation: It looks like systematic theft as service charges has increased of 500 pounds there is no work has done in last 7 years in [REDACTED] building and mostly the council tenants have not paid anything and people like like me who actually help council on regular basis the unfair charges are not good for business.
Reply: Thank you for your comment. Fire doors and the inspection of fire doors are a statutory requirement to ensure the safety of residents and property.
All works and services provided to MKCC properties are funded by the collection of rent from MKCC tenants and leasehold service charges.
Leaseholders are charged in line with the terms of their lease agreements and will only be charged for works that have been completed.
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Reference: 8 | Received: 22 May 2025 | Responded: 5 June 2025
Observation: Why was your preferred bidder not you first choice and why is your choice so far away.
Reply: Thank you for your comment. The preferred bidder is our first choice. The award of the contract is based on both Cost and Quality. The cheapest bidder did not score as well on the technical quality questions relating to how they would deliver the contract and therefore scored lower than the preferred bidder overall.
Their head office is based in the location provided.
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Reference: 7 | Received: 22 May 2025 | Responded: 5 June 2025
Observation: As the doors to my block and to my flat have recently been replaced with new fire safety compliant doors by Milton Keynes Council's contractor (Mears) I do not think it necessary to appoint an additional contractor to survey these new doors. I do not agree to pay for this service.
Reply: It is a legal requirement for fire doors to be inspected to ensure that they remain compliant and in good working order.
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Reference: 5 | Received: 21 May 2025 | Responded: 5 June 2025
Observation: I took my tenancy in 2019. I have never had a fire door safety check or survey so I don’t know when the last one was done. Is that a problem?
Reply: Thank you for your comment. If you have not had a fire door inspection it is likely that there is no requirement for your door to be a fire door. If you can please confirm your address we will confirm with you.
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Reference: 4 | Received: 21 May 2025 | Responded: 5 June 2025
Observation: What about block of flats which everybody has separate door and we don’t have any communal area? Why costs are already included in our service charge??
Reply: Thank you for your comment. Charges will only be incurred where there is a requirement for a fire door and there for a requirement for it to be inspected, these inspections will be charged in line with the terms of your lease agreement. So if no doors are surveyed then no costs will be charged for this service.
Please note that there are some instances in MKCC blocks with no internal areas and only external doors, where fire doors are required due to their layout or location on fire escape routes and would require inspections.
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Reference: 3 | Received: 21 May 2025 | Responded: 5 June 2025
Observation: Please stop sending me letters that have nothing to do with me, it is causing significant distress and anxiety.
Reply: Thank you for your email. We will contact you to discuss.
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Reference: 2 | Received: 21 May 2025 | Responded: 5 June 2025
Observation: The letter what we got states that we have been informed 2023. But we moved in only last year in June so we don't know nothing about that. Just want it to clarify.
Reply: Thank you for your comment. We will email you the letter that was previously referred to. Thank you.
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