22 May 2025
Managing residential buildings comes with big responsibilities, and few are as critical as keeping people safe. From trip hazards in corridors to the risk of fire or exposure to harmful materials, the day-to-day safety of a site is never something to leave to chance.
This article aims to decipher the role of health & safety in property management and help you stay on top of your obligations in today’s built environment. Whether you’re a property manager, Resident Management Company (RMC) or developer, our practical health and safety tips explain how we maintain compliance, avoid common pitfalls, and build a stronger culture of safety across our developments.
Why it’s crucial to get health and safety right
When things go wrong, whether it’s a missed gas safety check, a faulty smoke alarm, or an unnoticed issue in the common areas, the consequences can be serious.
In England and Wales, there are clear legal expectations. Landlords are required to carry out regular safety checks, and in higher risk buildings, even more rigorous duties apply.
The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced new duties for ‘accountable persons’, which is an organisation or individual responsible for managing safety risks in high-rise residential buildings. The Act also strengthened oversight through the use of registered building inspectors and building control approvers where required.
Understanding your responsibilities is the first step to staying compliant and keeping residents safe.
Core responsibilities: What property managers need to do
Regulatory compliance and best practice
A property manager’s priority is to understand their legal responsibilities and act on them consistently. This includes staying up to date with changes to legislation, such as the Building Safety Act 2022 and applying them in the context of each property.
Carrying out regular risk assessments, having clear records in place, and being able to demonstrate your approach to managing risk are all essential. It’s not just about compliance; it’s about showing residents and clients that building safety standards are embedded in how a building is run.
Managing fire safety procedures
Fire safety is non-negotiable. From keeping exit routes clear to regular fire alarm and signage check, these small but critical tasks help ensure compliance with fire safety regulations and, more importantly, protect lives.
It’s also important to make sure residents understand what to do in an emergency. You can find practical resources and a link to our downloadable fire safety booklet on our Fire Safety Information page.
Handling hazardous materials and maintenance risks
Every day risks like cleaning fluids or poorly lit stairwells can be just as dangerous as more obvious threats like asbestos. That’s why proactive identification and clear handling procedures are so important.
Following safe practices for managing substances, keeping shared spaces tidy, and logging repairs early can help reduce the likelihood of incidents. It’s about keeping both residents and contractors safe from harm.
Practical tips to strengthen health and safety standards
Manage contractors to ensure health and safety best practice
Managing contractors is a vital part of health and safety in property management. This starts with ensuring suppliers pass a robust accreditation process, including health and safety compliance and due diligence checks.
At FirstPort, contractors are required to provide risk assessments for any work carried out, including maintenance, reactive repairs, and planned works.
Conduct regular inspections of communal areas
Shared spaces like entrances, corridors, and bin stores need frequent attention. Regular inspections help catch issues early before they become safety risks.
To support this, FirstPort has a dedicated site inspection platform that allows our teams to:
- Carry out routine visual inspections across a site
- Log maintenance needs.
- Accurately record data such as number of actions and visits.
The platform helps us produce clear, professional, and shareable reports. This consistent, transparent approach helps us stay on top of maintenance while giving residents and clients confidence that their building is being looked after properly.
Proactively manage maintenance and repairs
Small maintenance issues can quickly become safety problems if left unchecked. That’s why it’s vital to act early and keep on top of both reactive repairs and routine servicing.
A proactive approach not only keeps residents safer, but it also reduces longer-term repair costs and improves the overall condition of the building.
Building a proactive safety culture
Staff training and awareness
Good safety starts with a well-informed team. That’s why regular health and safety training should be a core part of any property management operation.
It’s all about recognising risks in context and knowing when and how to act. A confident, capable team is one of the most effective tools in creating safer homes.
Resident communication and engagement
Residents play a key role in safety too, and they need to feel informed and involved. Encouraging two-way communication helps spot issues earlier and builds a stronger sense of shared responsibility.
At FirstPort, our MyHome portal makes it easy for residents to report problems, receive updates, and access important information all in one place.
How professional property management drives safer communities
When you partner with an experienced property management company, safety is backed by systems, processes, and technology.
At FirstPort, we take a structured, consistent approach to health and safety in property management, combining hands-on expertise with digital tools (like our site inspection platform) to stay ahead of risks and keep everything running smoothly. Upholding open communication with residents and clients helps to make sure that nothing slips through the cracks.
By embedding trusted building safety standards into our day-to-day operations, we help create communities that are well maintained, safe, compliant, and reassuring places to live.
Stay proactive about health and safety with our help
To learn more about how FirstPort manages health and safety across the developments we look after, visit our Health and Safety in Property Management page.
If you’d like to speak to someone about how we can support your building, reach out to us today.
