Fire safety for HOA managers and boards
The survey, the cost estimate per defect and the report the members' meeting can decide on.
You manage a complex where nobody knows exactly what condition the fire separations are in, and you need to get a decision through the members' meeting. We deliver the survey, the cost estimate per defect and the report that makes that decision possible.
As a manager or board member of an HOA, you face two problems with fire safety. The first is technical: in an apartment complex the fire separation runs straight through the ownership boundaries, and the defects in it have often arisen out of sight - behind a ceiling, in a shaft, or through a renovation in a home that nobody reported.
The second is a governance problem. Even if you know something has to be done, the money has to come from the meeting. And a meeting will not approve an item that is not substantiated, certainly not if the service charge has to go up as a result.
That is what our approach is designed for. We provide not only the repair, but above all the document you need to get the decision through: for each defect the location with a photo, the risk, the cost and the repair deadline, and where safety allows a proposal for phasing. That turns fire safety into a substantiated budget question.
What you get from us
- Survey of the shared fire separations, at a fixed price agreed in advance.
- A report with a photo, location and risk for each defect.
- A cost estimate with unit prices, suitable for the long-term maintenance plan and the budget.
- Repair proposal with deadlines, and phasing where that is responsible.
- Execution by VCA-certified fitters, including communication with residents.
- A digital logbook per complex on completion.
Meeting coming up?
If you want to put the proposal to the next members' meeting, state the meeting date with your request. We schedule the inspection and the delivery of the report back from that date, so you can send the document out with the agenda in good time.
Our team works VCA-certified and our organization holds ISO 9001 and Kiwa (K21050) certification - the substantiation your members and your insurer want to see.
Get in touchWhat we concretely help a manager with
Not just the remediation, but the whole path from finding to decision to documentation.
Recording the condition of the complex objectively
You get a picture of each shared fire separation: party walls and floors, stairwells, storage corridors, shafts and meter cupboards. With a photo, the location and the nature of the defect, so the conversation in the meeting is about the solution and not about whether there is a problem at all.
Making the costs budgetable
Unit prices per penetration and per door, with a total per complex and a split between priority and plannable work. Directly usable in the long-term maintenance plan and in a proposal to increase the reserve fund.
Getting the decision through the members' meeting
A summary in plain language, an explanation of the risk and a proposal with repair deadlines and, where responsible, phasing. On request, we attend the meeting to answer members' questions.
Delineating responsibility
For each defect the location and what is known about the cause, distinguishing an established cause from a suspicion. What is communal follows from the deed of division; whether costs can be recovered from an owner requires a separate assessment.
Keeping the documentation in order
After the repair, a logbook per complex: what was done where, with which system, when and by whom. That helps the HOA during an inspection or with a damage claim.
Carrying out the work without disruption
Residents are informed in advance by letter or apartment by apartment. Most of the work is in communal areas; work inside a dwelling is usually completed apartment by apartment within half a day.
Six places where we find defects in virtually every complex
If you recognise your complex in this, a survey is almost certainly worthwhile.
Meter cupboards and shafts
The vertical shaft running through every floor is the fastest route for smoke and fire into every dwelling. Penetrations for electrics, water, data and ventilation are rarely fully sealed here.
Party walls and floors
Penetrations arise from work in the home: a cooker hood, a new boiler, a fibre-optic connection or a renovated bathroom. They are by no means always properly sealed afterwards.
Stairwell and gallery
The doors to the stairwell must be self-closing and latch properly. A badly adjusted closer, a wedged-open door or damaged hardware renders the escape route unusable as soon as smoke builds up.
Storage corridor and parking level
The boundary between storage areas, parking and the residential building is a heavy-duty fire separation with a high fire load on the garage side. This is where we find the most serious defects.
Ceilings in the communal corridor
A separating wall that stops at the suspended ceiling instead of continuing up to the floor above. Above the ceiling the separation is then open along the entire length of the corridor.
Charging points and solar panels
Sustainability measures bring new cable routes through existing fire separations. Charging infrastructure in the parking level and inverters in the loft can affect the compartmentation where cables pass through fire separations.
HOA or individual owner?
| Building element or situation | Usual starting point | What should you check? |
|---|---|---|
| Party wall or floor | The separating construction is usually communal. | Distinguish between the construction and the finishes inside the home. |
| Stairwell, gallery or porch | Usually communal; the HOA organises the maintenance. | Which components and costs do the regulations mention? |
| Service shaft | The shaft construction is usually communal. | Other agreements may apply to pipes and installations. |
| Meter cupboard | Not simply entirely communal or private. | Assess the space, enclosure, penetrations and installations separately. |
| Apartment front door and frame | The split depends on the deed and the regulations. | Also check the agreements on hardware and door closers. |
| Storage room or parking space | An exclusive right of use does not mean that all surrounding constructions are private. | Distinguish the private space from shared corridors, walls and floors. |
| Penetration for a private installation | A private cable or pipe can run through a communal fire separation. | Assess both the building element and the agreements about the work. |
The deed of division and the regulations determine which parts are communal and how costs are shared. Where damage was caused by an owner's work, it can be investigated separately whether repair costs can be recovered from that owner. That does not follow automatically from the location of the penetration. Read more in Fire safety in the HOA: who pays for the repair?
Questions from managers and boards
That depends mainly on the number of dwellings and the number of storeys. For a complex of up to roughly 50 apartments, surveying the shared fire separations is a one- to two-day inspection, including a report with a cost estimate per defect. You receive a fixed price in advance, so you can include that item in the budget or in the proposal to the members' meeting.
That is what the report is built for. In addition to the technical part, we provide a summary in plain language: what was found, what risk goes with it, what the repair costs and what happens if it is left. The location of each defect is shown with a photo, so the meeting can see what it is deciding on. Where safety, the applicable regulations and any repair deadlines allow it, we also provide a proposal for phasing.
The deed of division and the regulations determine which parts are communal and how costs are shared. Where damage was caused by an owner's work, it can be investigated separately whether repair costs can be recovered from that owner. That does not follow automatically from the location of the penetration: the basis for payment, the cause and the substantiation of the costs also count. We record the location of each defect and what is known about the cause, distinguishing an established cause from a suspicion. If a claim is disputed, it is wise to have a lawyer specialising in HOA law assess it.
Foreseeable maintenance and replacement belong in the long-term maintenance plan. We provide the costs with unit prices per penetration and per door, broken down into what is a priority and what can be planned. Your maintenance plan author can then include the item and recalculate it at the next update. Necessary repairs do not wait for that update.
For structural fire protection there is no periodic inspection obligation as there is for a lift or a fire alarm system. The duties of care in the Dutch Buildings Decree do apply, for the condition of the building and for fire-safe use. Good documentation helps to show that the communal fire safety provisions are present and in order. After an incident, during an inspection by the municipality or fire service, or with a damage claim, this will be asked for - and by then a survey carried out after the incident is too late.
Whether a board is liable depends on the circumstances; a lawyer specialising in HOA law can assess that for your situation. It does help if the board can show that defects were recorded, that their severity was assessed and that necessary measures were taken in time. A repair plan or meeting resolution does not justify allowing a dangerous situation to continue.
Yes. For managers with a portfolio of HOAs we work to a fixed format: the same inspection, the same report and the same unit prices for each complex, plus a portfolio overview showing which complexes are in order and where action is needed. That makes your advice to the various boards mutually comparable.
Often, but phasing is only appropriate if safety, the applicable regulations and any repair deadlines allow it. We first assess what directly affects escape routes and compartment boundaries, and temporary measures are needed where necessary. A long-term maintenance plan or meeting resolution does not justify allowing a dangerous situation to continue.
The services that make the most difference in a residential complex
Fire-Resistant Seals
Sealing penetrations against fire with collars, wrap strips, sealant, mortar or other systems with a substantiated application, so that the WBDBO of your fire separation stays intact.
More about fire-resistant sealsFire-Resistant Doors
Fire doors made to measure, adjusted or refurbished: up to 60 minutes fire resistance, smoke-resistant where required, self-closing and certified.
More about fire-resistant doorsConsultancy & Assessment
From a quick fire safety scan to a full survey: we map out the fire safety of your building clearly.
More about consultancy & assessmentOur work in HOAs and residential complexes · For housing associations · Fire safety in car parks
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