Fire Safety Plans (MAP) for Residential Buildings
What falls on the common areas and on the building manager.
Why a residential building is different
Residential buildings are Utilização-Tipo I. Unlike a commercial space, here the risk category depends mainly on the building's height and the number of floors below the reference level, not on any activity. Low buildings almost always land in the 1st category; tall buildings move up.
The obligations fall on the condominium as a whole, and it's the building manager who has to see to them in practice: maintaining the common systems, keeping safety records and, in higher-category buildings, a MAP with an emergency plan.
When this usually becomes urgent
- A 2nd-category or higher building that never got a MAP
- A council survey or a request for documentation to sell a unit that exposes the missing records
- A resident's complaint or a report to the fire brigade about out-of-date extinguishers or wedged fire doors
- Work on the common areas affecting evacuation routes, dry risers or detection
- A change of building manager, when the building's safety situation usually gets reviewed
What falls to the condominium
In 1st-category buildings, the essentials are keeping the existing systems maintained (extinguishers, emergency lighting and signage, fire doors) and keeping the records of that maintenance. From the 2nd category, prevention and emergency-response procedures are added, and in the higher categories a full MAP with an internal emergency plan, a safety officer and drills. In every case, evacuation routes and fire doors have to be clear and working. The exact risk category and specific obligations are set by a técnico autor.
Need to sort this out?
Frequently asked questions
Does a small residential building need a MAP?
In most cases not a formal MAP. Low buildings usually land in the 1st risk category, where the obligation comes down to maintaining and recording the common safety systems. A MAP becomes required from the 2nd category, typically in taller buildings.
Whose responsibility is it, the condominium's or each owner's?
The condominium, represented by the building manager, is responsible for the common areas. Each owner is responsible for the inside of their unit. In practice, almost everything fire safety law requires in a residential building applies to the common areas.
Can the building manager be held liable if the MAP is missing?
The building manager has a duty to ensure the common areas meet their safety obligations. If there's an incident and it turns out the systems weren't maintained or required documentation was missing, that omission can be attributed to them. That's why it's worth handling this on the record.
This guide is general orientation and doesn't replace legal or technical advice. Your building's exact risk category and obligations are determined by a técnico autor registered with ANEPC.