Raising the bar for Residential Fire Safety: What BS 9792:2025 means for surveyors
Fire safety in residential buildings is under sharper focus than ever before. With changing legislation, evolving risks, and heightened public awareness, professionals responsible for fire risk assessments (FRAs) in housing environments must stay ahead of best practices and guidance.
That’s where the newly published BS 9792:2025 comes in, a significant update offering the clarity and consistency surveyors need when conducting FRAs.
A New Benchmark in Residential Fire Risk Assessment
BS 9792:2025 – Fire Risk Assessment – Housing – Code of Practice, published by BSI, replaces the now-withdrawn PAS 79-2:2020, and brings with it a fully refreshed, comprehensive framework for fire risk assessors working in housing environments.
This isn’t just an incremental update — it’s a full revision that reflects the latest fire safety legislation, incorporates modern best practice, and prioritizes inclusivity and proportionality.
Whether you’re assessing a house in multiple occupation (HMO), a block of flats, specialised housing, or student accommodation, this standard delivers a structured, legally aligned approach that helps ensure you’re meeting your professional responsibilities — and helping to keep people safe.
Why This Standard Matters for Surveyors
At Surventrix, we understand the importance of keeping pace with evolving standards. Residential surveyors play a pivotal role in building safety, and BS 9792:2025 offers practical improvements to support your work, including:
1. Clearer Structure and Pro Forma
The standard introduces a more intuitive, streamlined structure to FRA documentation — making assessments easier to follow and standardise across organisations and housing types. This is particularly valuable when working within larger property portfolios or collaborating across multidisciplinary teams.
2. Proportionate Risk-Based Approach
BS 9792:2025 promotes a proportionate methodology — guiding assessors to determine risk control measures that are appropriate to the building type, occupancy, and level of risk. This is critical to ensuring resources are targeted effectively without over-engineering solutions.
3. Updated Guidance on Evacuation Needs
Modern residential communities include a diverse range of residents, many of whom may have specific needs in the event of a fire. The updated guidance ensures these needs are explicitly considered during FRAs, helping surveyors identify and recommend appropriate person-centred evacuation planning.
4. Legal Alignment and Integration
The standard is fully aligned with current fire safety legislation, ensuring compliance with evolving regulations. It also complements other key guidance such as PAS 9980 (external wall fire risk assessments) and the upcoming BS 8674, which will address assessor competence.
Expert-Led, Evidence-Based
Developed by an independent panel of fire safety experts, BS 9792:2025 builds on the foundations of PAS 79-2, but significantly improves upon it. As Anne Hayes, Director of Sectors and Standards Development at BSI, puts it:
“The publication of this updated guidance marks a major step forward for residential fire safety… It sets a new benchmark for safety planning and reflects a strengthened and collaborative commitment to transparency and the needs of diverse housing communities.”
What This Means for You
As a residential surveyor, your assessments directly influence the safety of residents and the decisions of housing providers. Adopting the BS 9792:2025 standard is not just about compliance — it’s about raising the bar for quality, transparency, and accountability in your FRA practice.
At Surventrix, we encourage all professionals in the residential surveying and compliance space to familiarise themselves with this new code of practice and begin integrating it into their workflows. It’s a step forward for the entire industry — and a vital one for protecting lives.
🧭 Need more information?
Explore the standard in full via BSI:
BS 9792:2025 – Fire Risk Assessment – Housing – Code of Practice