HUD NSPIRE May Newsletter: Door – Fire Labeled Standard: Deficiency 2:

MAY 2025:
Door – Fire Labeled Standard: Deficiency 2:
Fire labeled door does not close and latch OR the self-closing hardware is damaged or missing such that the door does not self-close and latch.

May’s Newsletter topic analyzes Deficiency #2 of the Door-Fire Labeled Standard: Fire labeled door does not close and latch OR the self-closing hardware is damaged or missing such that the door does not self-close and latch. All Fire Door deficiencies are non-scoring until October 1, 2025.  HUD may or may not extend this deadline, so it’s best to be prepared because this is a Severe H&S which is about 0.6 points per Unit!

Please Note: The reason HUD delayed scoring all Fire Door deficiencies for 2 years was to allow properties adequate time to budget for and repair them…not for them to be considered a low-priority concern and ignored.  Fire Doors are the first line of defense – their correct functionality is critical to saving lives.

How Do I Know it’s a Fire Door?
Look for the tag (or plug) on the side or top of the door or the frame.

The Deficiency Verbiage

Please note the “OR” in yellow!  What HUD means by this is that they do NOT require all fire doors to have self-closers on them – this is primarily due to the fact that many of HUD’s properties are older and/or they are exempt due to various building codes.  However, if there is any evidence that a self-closer used to be there, then it is considered missing and will be cited.

The only way not to be required to reinstall it would be to get a letter from the Fire Marshall or local Building Official permitting the removal and subsequent repair on the holes.  This letter will have to be uploaded as your defect mitigation and will be your grounds for appeal when Fire Door deficiencies become scoring.

Testing the Fire Door Closer
We used to give fire doors 3 tries to latch.  Under NSPIRE, HUD states to “open the door fully and release” and to pull back on the handle to make sure the latch is engaged.  In other words, you get one shot!

Opening a window or sliding glass door in a unit is considered cheating – the doors should function with or without other doors/windows being open or closed.

Resources
HUD has PDFs (videos are currently down) on how to appeal and how to close out H&S deficiencies here:
NSPIRE Toolkit
**Remember, if you will be appealing something,
your “defect mitigation in 24 hours” is that you are appealing…not that you fixed it!**

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