Managing Fire Door Compliance | A Guide to Tenant Education & Policy

Fire Door Frustrations: How to Manage Tenant Behaviour and Prevent Common Compliance Breaches

You’ve done everything right. Your fire doors are compliant, your maintenance schedule is perfect, and your logbook is pristine. Then, you do a walk-through and find it: the fire stair door, your building’s main escape route, is wedged open with a rubber doorstop so a resident can move their groceries in more easily.

It’s a scenario that makes every building manager’s blood boil. The reality of fire safety is that the biggest and most unpredictable risk is often human behaviour. Research shows that less than 50% of building occupants feel confident about what to do in an emergency, and less than 25% even know where their nearest fire extinguisher is. This highlights a critical gap in awareness. As a manager, your role must expand from being an enforcer to an educator, helping tenants and staff understand that their actions have serious safety consequences.  

Tackling the Top 3 Compliance Headaches

Let’s address the most common, frustrating, and dangerous issues caused by building occupants, and explore solutions that go beyond just putting up a sign.

Problem #1: The Wedged-Open Door

This is the cardinal sin of fire door misuse. Whether it’s for convenience, airflow, or moving furniture, propping a fire door open is illegal and incredibly dangerous.  

• The Risk: A propped-open fire door is no longer a fire door. It creates a chimney for fire, heat, and toxic smoke to travel rapidly through what should be a protected area, such as a fire stair or corridor. It completely defeats the building’s compartmentalisation strategy.  
• Standard Solutions:
  • Signage: Ensure every fire door has clear, unmissable signage that says “FIRE DOOR – DO NOT OBSTRUCT” or “FIRE DOOR – KEEP SHUT”.  
  • Communication: Use newsletters, emails, and notice boards to regularly remind residents and staff of the rule and why it exists.
• What most blogs don’t tell you (The Advanced Solution): For doors that genuinely need to be held open for operational reasons (e.g., a main corridor), you can install a compliant hold-open device. These are not simple magnetic catches. They are electronic devices that are wired directly into the building’s fire indicator panel. They hold the door open during normal use but will automatically release and allow the door to close the instant a smoke detector is activated or the fire alarm sounds. This is the only legal way to hold a fire door open.  

Problem #2: Illegal Hardware and Unauthorised Modifications

This is a particularly common issue in strata buildings, where residents want to add extra security to their apartment entry doors.

• The Risk: A resident installs their own hardware, such as a manually operated deadbolt, a security chain, or a swing bar. While it makes them feel safer, they have just illegally modified a fire door and rendered it non-compliant. AS 1905.1 explicitly prohibits any hardware that can stop the door from being self-latching. If the deadbolt is thrown, the door can’t latch when it closes, leaving a direct path for fire and smoke into their unit or out into the common corridor.  
• Standard Solutions:
  • Policy: Have a clear clause in your lease or strata by-laws that explicitly forbids any unauthorised modifications to apartment entry doors.
  • Enforcement: When you discover illegal hardware, issue a formal breach notice explaining the safety risk and requiring its immediate removal.
• What most blogs don’t tell you (The Compliant Alternative): Instead of just saying “no,” you can provide a “yes.” There are specially designed security latches that have been tested and approved for use on fire doors. These devices allow an occupant to secure their door from the inside for privacy, but they are designed to be foolproof—they cannot be used to hold the door ajar and do not interfere with the primary self-latching mechanism. By recommending an approved product, you solve the resident’s security concern without compromising the building’s fire safety.  

Problem #3: Damage and Obstruction

From delivery drivers banging trolleys into frames to tenants storing bikes and boxes in fire stairs, damage and obstruction are constant battles.

• The Risk: Physical damage to the door leaf, frame, or hardware can compromise its fire-resistant core and void its certification. Items stored in fire stairs or corridors can prevent a fire door from closing properly or, even worse, block a critical escape route during an emergency.  
• Standard Solutions:
  • Clear Corridor Policy: Implement and enforce a strict policy that all common areas, especially fire stairs and access corridors, must be kept clear at all times.
  • Move-in/Move-out Inspections: Conduct a brief inspection of common areas after a tenant moves in or out to check for damage to doors and walls.
• What most blogs don’t tell you (The Responsibility Angle): In a strata scheme, the apartment entry door is typically considered common property because it is part of the building’s essential fire safety system. This is a crucial piece of information. It means the Owners Corporation has a strict legal obligation to maintain it, but it also gives you the authority to enforce rules about its upkeep and modification. You can, and should, bill back the costs of repairing damage caused by a resident’s negligence. 

Building a Culture of Fire Safety

Ultimately, winning the battle against misuse comes down to creating a culture where everyone understands their role.

• Onboard New Tenants/Staff: Make fire door rules a mandatory part of your induction process. Don’t just hand them a booklet; walk them to the nearest fire door and explain its features.
• Communicate Simply and Regularly: Don’t just quote the standards. Use simple, impactful messages: “A wedged-open fire door can fill this hallway with toxic smoke in under three minutes.”
• Lead by Example: Ensure all your staff and contractors follow the rules without exception. If a painter props a door open, stop them immediately.

By shifting your approach from being a rule enforcer to a safety educator, you empower your building’s occupants to become your greatest asset in maintaining a safe and compliant environment.

Test your practical knowledge of Australian fire door standards.

AS 1905.1:2015 Fire Door Compliance Quiz