Do I need approval to replace my flat entrance door or windows?

It depends, and with both jobs you should check before you order anything. In a higher-risk building, replacing windows is not covered by the main exemption for repairs and replacements, and a flat entrance door is a fire door, which brings fire safety into the picture.

Windows and glazing

GOV.UK exempts most repairs, replacements and maintenance from BSR approval, but it excludes glazing units from that exemption (GOV.UK). Replacing windows or glazing units is therefore not exempt on that basis. The exception is work carried out under a competent person scheme. GOV.UK tells you to ask the scheme provider whether it covers building work on higher-risk buildings, so ask your installer which scheme they belong to and get that answer in writing before the order. Be aware that, in practice, the main glazing schemes have said they do not self-certify replacement windows in buildings over 18 metres, so most window replacements in high-rise flats go to the BSR. See Replacing Windows in a High-Rise Flat: Why the FENSA Route Doesn't Work, and What 2026 Might Change.

Flat entrance doors

GOV.UK exempts replacing external doors where less than 50 percent of the surface is glazed. A flat entrance door is different from an ordinary external door because it forms part of the fire separation between your flat and the common parts, and work involving passive fire safety measures is category A. The exemption therefore may not settle the question for a fire-rated flat door.

Guidance from local councils points the same way. One London council tells leaseholders in buildings of seven storeys or more that replacing a flat entrance door means submitting a building control application to the BSR (Hounslow Council). Treat that as a prompt to check with the BSR or a building control professional, not as the final word for your building.

Check your lease first

You may not own every part. In most cases the entrance door is part of the flat you own under your lease, and you may need your landlord's written consent to replace it (LEASE). Windows are different: they are often owned and maintained by the freeholder, and some landlords will not consent to leaseholders replacing them. One London council, for example, says it will not give consent because the window frames belong to the freeholder under its leases (Hounslow Council). Ask your managing agent before you spend anything.

What to do

1. Check your lease and ask your managing agent who owns and is responsible for the door and windows.
2. Ask the BSR or a building control professional whether your specific replacement needs approval.
3. If an installer says it is covered by a competent person scheme, ask for the scheme name and confirm it covers higher-risk buildings.
4. Do not start until you know the answer. Starting building work that needs approval without it is a criminal offence.

Try the BSR screener to see how your plans look against the triggers.

Sources: GOV.UK, Building control approval for higher-risk buildings (updated 1 October 2026); Hounslow Council, flat entrance door guidance; Hounslow Council, making alterations as a leaseholder; LEASE, Replacing your fire door.