Why parcel management is a fire safety obligation

nook exists because parcels in corridors are not a nuisance problem - they are a legal one. Under current UK fire safety law, communal escape routes must be kept clear at all times. Every cardboard box left in a stairwell or lobby is a combustible obstruction on an escape route, and the person legally responsible for that building is the one who carries the liability. nook moves deliveries into secure, designated lockers so that common parts stay clear, compliant, and defensible.

Below is the legislative framework that makes this a building management obligation rather than a convenience feature.

The legal foundation: Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) is the bedrock of fire safety law for the common parts of residential buildings in England. The responsible person - whether a social housing provider, housing association, private landlord, freeholder, managing agent or resident management company - is bound by it.

Under Article 14 of the FSO, the responsible person must ensure that “routes to emergency exits from premises and the exits themselves are kept clear at all times.” That is not a recommendation. It is an absolute duty. Common corridors, stairwells, lobbies and access balconies are escape routes. Cardboard boxes, bubble wrap and packaging left on those routes are combustible obstructions. The moment a parcel sits in a stairwell, the responsible person is, on the face of it, in breach of Article 14.

The Fire Safety Act 2021

The Fire Safety Act 2021 amended the FSO to clarify that the responsible person's duties extend to the structure of the building, external walls and the doors between individual flats and common parts - not just the internal common areas. This closed the ambiguities that previously existed over where fire safety responsibility sat in multi-occupied buildings. There is now no gap: every part of the common envelope is within scope.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

In force from 23 January 2023, these Regulations introduced active, ongoing obligations for responsible persons in buildings with two or more domestic premises sharing common parts:

Regulation 9 requires fire safety instructions - including the evacuation strategy - to be displayed in a conspicuous part of the common areas and provided to every resident both on moving in and at intervals of no more than 12 months.

Regulation 10 requires fire doors in communal areas of buildings above 11 metres to be physically checked at least every three months, with flat entrance doors checked at least annually. Records must be kept of every check.

A responsible person carrying out quarterly fire door checks is also looking at corridors. They will be in a difficult position if those corridors routinely contain residents' parcels and packaging.

The Building Safety Act 2022

The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced the “accountable person” role for higher-risk buildings - those above 18 metres or seven storeys containing two or more residential units. Accountable persons must prepare a safety case report, register the building with the Building Safety Regulator and demonstrate ongoing management of building safety risks. Section 101 creates a criminal offence for contraventions that give rise to a risk of death or serious injury.

For buildings outside the higher-risk category, the Act still significantly tightened enforcement and accountability across the sector, raising expectations of what constitutes adequate building safety management.

What government guidance says about housekeeping

The Home Office's own guidance - published under Article 50 of the FSO - is unambiguous. Article 50(1A) makes clear that deviation from this guidance can be used as evidence of a breach of the FSO in court proceedings:

“Good housekeeping is fundamental to reducing the risk from fire in the common parts. The common parts should be kept clear of any combustible materials or storage. There should be a zero-tolerance approach, in which residents are not permitted to use the common parts to store any belongings or dispose of rubbish.”

The monthly inspection checklist in the same guidance requires responsible persons to: “Check escape routes are clear of any storage or obstructions (you must however ensure that these routes are clear at all times).”

The specific problem with unmanaged parcel delivery

Parcel volumes to residential buildings have risen substantially. Without a managed solution, the outcome is predictable: parcels left outside flat doors, in lobby areas, on stair landings, in corridors. The packaging is combustible. The positioning obstructs escape routes. The accumulation is unpredictable and impossible to control through resident instruction alone.

Local fire and rescue services have enforcement powers to audit common parts and issue improvement and prohibition notices. Where a fire risk assessment identifies a recurring obstruction problem that is not being addressed, the responsible person faces escalating compliance obligations and potential prosecution.

The answer

nook parcel lockers remove the problem at source. Deliveries go directly into a secure, designated locker - not into corridors, lobbies or stairwells. Common parts remain clear. Escape routes remain unobstructed. The responsible person has a repeatable, auditable delivery process that supports rather than undermines the building's fire safety regime.

For housing associations, build-to-rent operators and landlords operating under current fire safety law, a managed parcel solution is not a premium addition. It is a practical necessity.