An e-bike left in a communal hallway might not appear to obstruct anyone. But if its lithium-ion battery enters thermal runaway, the resulting fire, toxic smoke and gases could make the only escape route unusable. Here’s what landlords, managing agents and RTM companies need to know.
Imagine you’re managing a block of twelve flats. During a routine inspection, you notice an electric bicycle parked in the communal entrance hall.
It’s tucked neatly against the wall, and there’s still plenty of room for residents to walk past.
You ask the owner to remove it, but they explain that the bike is expensive, they don’t have anywhere secure outside and they’re worried about it being stolen.
A few weeks later, another e-bike appears.
Then somebody starts charging an e-scooter beneath the communal staircase.
Nobody intended to create a serious fire hazard.
Residents are simply trying to find somewhere convenient to store their belongings.
But there’s a significant difference between leaving an ordinary bicycle in a hallway and storing or charging a vehicle containing a lithium-ion battery.
The danger isn’t simply that an e-bike could obstruct somebody trying to escape. It’s that a battery fire could rapidly fill the hallway or staircase with hot, toxic smoke, potentially preventing residents from escaping at all.
And in a residential building, particularly one with a single protected staircase, that could have devastating consequences.
So what should landlords and managing agents actually allow? Can residents legally store e-bikes in communal hallways? What happens if somebody repeatedly ignores the rules, and how should the fire risk assessment address the problem?
Why Are E-Bikes in Communal Areas Such a Serious Fire Risk?
Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in electric bicycles, scooters and other rechargeable equipment. Most operate safely when correctly manufactured, maintained and charged, but defective or damaged batteries can fail violently.
One of the most serious failure mechanisms is known as thermal runaway.
This occurs when a battery cell enters an uncontrolled chemical reaction that generates heat. As the temperature increases, the reaction can accelerate, potentially causing neighbouring cells to fail.
The resulting incident can develop extremely quickly, releasing flammable gases, intense heat and, in some circumstances, explosive bursts of flame and burning material.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards’ research into personal light electric vehicle battery safety, undertaken by the University of Warwick, specifically identifies the risks of thermal runaway and the rapid release of hot, toxic and flammable gases.
The research also found that thermal runaway can spread from one battery cell to another, substantially increasing the severity of the incident.
This is what makes an e-bike battery fire particularly concerning in a communal hallway or staircase.
A fire involving ordinary combustible materials can be serious enough. But a lithium-ion battery failure may develop rapidly, with little opportunity for occupants to react before smoke and gases begin affecting the surrounding space.
Why Is Smoke from a Lithium-Ion Battery Fire So Dangerous?
When a lithium-ion battery enters thermal runaway, the hazard extends well beyond the flames.
The chemical reactions can release significant quantities of hot, toxic and flammable gases. Depending on the battery chemistry and circumstances, these can include carbon monoxide, hydrogen fluoride and other harmful substances.
Carbon monoxide interferes with the body’s ability to transport oxygen, while hydrogen fluoride is highly toxic and can cause serious injury to the respiratory system.
The smoke and gases produced can also be intensely irritating, making breathing difficult and potentially affecting a person’s ability to escape.
Importantly, dangerous gases may be released before sustained flames become visible.
The Government’s PLEV battery safety research explains that the consequences are particularly severe indoors, where enclosed spaces can rapidly fill with hot, toxic and suffocating gases.
Now imagine an e-bike battery failing in the communal staircase of a converted block of flats.
The staircase may be the only protected escape route available to residents on the upper floors.
Even if the bicycle itself is positioned against the wall, the resulting smoke could spread through the staircase, reducing visibility and making it difficult or dangerous for people to use the route.
Residents attempting to escape could be exposed to toxic gases before reaching the final exit.
Those with reduced mobility, older residents or people requiring assistance may be particularly vulnerable because they could need more time to evacuate.
And the consequences aren’t necessarily limited to the person who owns the bicycle.
A resident charging an e-bike outside their flat could create a fire that threatens everybody relying on that shared escape route.
That’s why the fire risk isn’t adequately addressed by simply checking whether the bicycle leaves enough space for somebody to walk past.
The assessment must consider what could happen if the battery fails and whether the resulting fire and smoke could compromise the building’s means of escape.
How Quickly Can an E-Bike Battery Fire Develop?
A lithium-ion battery failure can progress rapidly, particularly where thermal runaway spreads between cells.
As individual cells fail, heat and flammable gases may be released. These can ignite, potentially resulting in flames, pressure effects and further heating of nearby cells.
The severity depends on factors including battery size, state of charge, construction, chemistry and the circumstances of the failure.
But there’s another important consideration.
A battery doesn’t necessarily have to be connected to a charger at the precise moment it catches fire.
The Government’s research found that damage caused by overcharging can lead to delayed thermal runaway, even after charging has stopped.
Mechanical damage, manufacturing defects, overheating and unsuitable electrical components can also contribute to battery failure.
This means simply unplugging an e-bike and leaving it in the hallway doesn’t eliminate the risk.
The Department for Transport’s battery safety guidance advises against storing or charging e-scooters on escape routes or in communal areas of multi-occupied buildings.
If a battery starts smoking or catches fire, the advice is to raise the alarm, leave the area, remain outside and call 999.
Residents shouldn’t attempt to move a burning battery through the building or put themselves at risk trying to extinguish a developing battery fire.
How Common Are E-Bike and E-Scooter Fires?
The issue has attracted increasing attention from fire and rescue services as battery-powered vehicles have become more common.
According to London Fire Brigade’s figures published in January 2026, firefighters attended 206 e-bike and e-scooter fires during 2025.
Of those, 171 involved e-bikes and 35 involved e-scooters.
That represents an average of approximately 17 incidents each month across London.
These figures cover incidents attended by London Fire Brigade, not solely fires occurring in communal areas.
However, the Brigade has repeatedly warned about the risks associated with damaged batteries, conversion kits, incompatible chargers and equipment that doesn’t meet appropriate safety standards.
The incidents also demonstrate that the consequences can extend beyond the person using the vehicle.
For residential building managers, the concern is particularly significant where batteries are stored or charged close to escape routes or within buildings that rely on fire-resisting construction to protect occupants.
Are E-Bikes Legally Allowed in Communal Hallways?
There isn’t a single provision in fire safety legislation that simply states every electric bicycle is prohibited from every communal area.
However, the existing legal responsibilities are clear.
Under Article 14 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, emergency routes and exits must remain clear where necessary to safeguard relevant people.
Article 9 requires the Responsible Person to undertake a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.
For houses in multiple occupation, Regulation 4 of the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 separately requires managers to keep escape routes free from obstruction.
These obligations aren’t limited to making sure residents can physically squeeze past stored belongings.
The fire risk assessment must consider foreseeable fire hazards and their potential consequences.
A bicycle may leave sufficient walking space while still introducing an unacceptable risk of fire and smoke spreading through a protected escape route.
At ESI: Fire Safety, our recommendation is that e-bikes and e-scooters should not be stored or charged in communal escape routes, including corridors, staircases, entrance lobbies and other areas necessary for evacuation.
This is consistent with London Fire Brigade’s guidance for Responsible Persons, which highlights the danger of battery fires occurring in locations where they could prevent people leaving safely.
What Does Government Guidance Say About Communal Storage?
The Government’s Fire Safety in Purpose-Built Blocks of Flats guidance describes two approaches to managing items stored in communal areas: zero tolerance and managed use.
A zero-tolerance policy means residents aren’t permitted to use communal escape routes for storage.
Managed use can allow certain low-risk items in defined locations, provided the arrangement is supported by a suitable fire risk assessment and effective building management.
However, the guidance makes clear that managed use shouldn’t extend to charging batteries or other electrical equipment in the common parts.
There’s also an important distinction between ordinary pedal bicycles and electric bicycles.
A pedal bicycle left in a wide hallway may primarily present an obstruction or combustible-material concern.
An e-bike introduces an additional potential ignition source, together with the consequences of a lithium-ion battery failure.
A managed-use policy written several years ago to accommodate pedal bicycles or pushchairs shouldn’t automatically be interpreted as permitting e-bikes and e-scooters.
The potential for rapid fire development and toxic smoke production needs separate consideration.
Can Residents Charge E-Bikes in Communal Areas?
Our advice is straightforward: don’t permit e-bike or e-scooter charging in communal escape routes.
Charging can increase the likelihood of battery failure, particularly where incompatible chargers, damaged batteries or poorly manufactured equipment are involved.
There are also practical concerns with improvised charging arrangements.
Imagine a resident running an extension lead from their flat into the corridor to charge a bicycle outside the entrance door.
The cable may create a trip hazard, interfere with the proper closing of the flat entrance fire door or encourage further storage in the communal area.
But the more serious issue is what happens if the battery enters thermal runaway.
A developing fire could rapidly produce heat and toxic smoke in a route needed by residents elsewhere in the building.
The Government’s guidance on managing e-bike and e-scooter fire risks in premises recommends that restrictions on storage and charging in common areas, stairwells and escape routes are fully implemented and monitored.
This doesn’t mean that electric bicycles can never be charged within a residential development.
It means that suitable facilities should be specifically assessed and designed, rather than allowing residents to create informal charging points wherever electrical sockets happen to be available.
What About Electrical Cupboards, Risers and Under-Stair Storage?
These are some of the locations where unsafe storage can develop without immediately attracting attention.
A resident discovers an unlocked electrical cupboard and decides it would be a convenient place to keep an e-scooter.
Somebody else leaves a battery beneath the communal staircase because it is out of sight.
But these spaces may contain important building services, form part of fire-resisting construction or be located directly beside escape routes.
Electrical intake rooms, riser cupboards and plant rooms shouldn’t become unofficial storage areas.
The Home Office’s guidance for small blocks of flats recommends keeping communal areas and service cupboards free from inappropriate storage and combustible materials.
The same concern applies to refuse rooms, enclosed storage areas and locations where smoke could spread readily into communal corridors.
External balconies may also present risks, particularly where a fire could spread to combustible materials or external wall systems.
The correct approach is to assess the building and prevent storage or charging wherever a battery fire could threaten occupants or compromise necessary escape arrangements.
What if Residents Have Nowhere Else to Store Their E-Bikes?
This is often the most difficult part of managing the problem.
Telling somebody they cannot leave their electric bicycle in the hallway is relatively straightforward.
Finding a practical alternative may be considerably harder.
Residents may depend on an e-bike for commuting, and some will have invested significant amounts in their equipment.
Concerns about theft are understandable, particularly where suitable external cycle storage isn’t available.
A policy that simply prohibits e-bikes without considering the practical circumstances can lead to persistent non-compliance.
Residents might remove their vehicles during an inspection, only to return them to the hallway afterwards.
That’s why building owners and managing agents should consider whether suitable alternative storage can be provided.
Could You Provide a Dedicated E-Bike Store?
Potentially, yes.
The Government recommends considering secure, accessible and appropriately designed storage and charging facilities.
A purpose-designed external location, suitably separated from the building and its escape routes, may be a good solution.
Where external storage isn’t practical, a dedicated internal facility may be considered, but its location and fire protection need careful assessment.
The Government’s premises guidance refers to London Fire Brigade’s Guidance Note 103, which addresses the design of charging and storage facilities for electric-powered personal vehicles.
Considerations include fire-resisting separation, detection, ventilation, electrical installation arrangements, firefighter access and whether a fire could affect escape routes.
Depending on the proposed facility, additional fire protection measures may be required.
The effects of smoke and toxic gas release should also be considered.
A dedicated charging room isn’t automatically safe simply because it has a fire-resisting door. The design needs to address the potential consequences of a battery fire and how those consequences could affect the rest of the building.
Converting an existing cupboard by fitting a few sockets and attaching an “E-Bike Store” sign isn’t an adequate substitute for competent design and risk assessment.
What About Mobility Scooters?
Mobility scooters deserve particular consideration because they are often essential mobility aids.
Some residents depend on them to leave their homes, attend appointments and maintain their independence.
A managing agent cannot assume that every resident using a mobility scooter can simply carry the equipment upstairs or store it somewhere inaccessible.
However, mobility scooter batteries can also present fire hazards, depending on their battery technology, condition and charging arrangements.
Storage and charging within essential escape routes can create serious difficulties.
The Government’s guidance for purpose-built blocks recognises the importance of accommodating mobility needs while maintaining suitable fire safety precautions.
In some buildings, a dedicated mobility scooter storage and charging facility may be appropriate.
The design should consider the user’s accessibility requirements, the building’s fire safety strategy and the precautions needed to prevent a fire from affecting escape routes.
The objective isn’t to deny residents access to necessary mobility equipment.
It’s to provide arrangements that protect the individual and everyone else using the building.
Why Must Managing Agents and RTM Companies Communicate Regularly With Residents?
This is one of the most important aspects of managing the risk.
A managing agent might issue a letter explaining that e-bikes are no longer permitted in communal hallways.
But what happens six months later when several flats have changed tenants?
Or when a new resident moves in and has never received the original notice?
Fire safety communication shouldn’t be a one-off exercise.
Under Article 21A of the Fire Safety Order, the Responsible Person for a building containing two or more sets of domestic premises must provide residents with comprehensible and relevant fire safety information.
This includes relevant risks identified in the fire risk assessment, the preventive and protective measures in place and the Responsible Person’s name and UK contact address.
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 also require specified fire safety instructions to be displayed in relevant communal areas and given to new residents as soon as reasonably practicable.
Those instructions must be reissued to existing residents at least every twelve months and whenever they are materially changed.
The Regulations separately require fire door information to be provided to residents.
These are specific statutory communication duties. They don’t impose an additional universal requirement to issue an e-bike newsletter every month.
However, regular communication about e-bike storage and charging is sensible fire safety management, particularly where the fire risk assessment has identified these activities as a hazard.
What Should Managing Agents, Letting Agents and RTM Companies Do?
Managing agents, letting agents and RTM management companies can all have important roles, although their precise legal duties depend on their control of the premises and their contractual responsibilities.
The Responsible Person must ensure that the applicable statutory duties are met.
Where managing agents are appointed to deliver those arrangements, they should have a clear process for issuing fire safety information, monitoring communal areas and addressing unsafe behaviour.
Letting agents can also help by ensuring that new tenants receive relevant building rules and fire safety information when they move in.
For RTM and residents’ management companies, regular communication should form part of the building’s normal management programme.
At ESI: Fire Safety, we’d recommend using welcome packs, periodic resident newsletters, emails, communal notices and direct correspondence where necessary.
The communication should explain not simply that e-bikes are prohibited in escape routes, but why.
Residents need to understand that the risk extends beyond an ordinary obstruction. A lithium-ion battery failure could release toxic smoke and hot gases into the very corridor or staircase other people need to use to escape.
That explanation is more useful than simply putting up a notice saying “NO E-BIKES”.
It’s also important to explain where residents can safely store their vehicles, if suitable facilities are available, and how they can report unsafe charging or damaged batteries.
What Happens if Residents Ignore the Rules?
This can be a frustrating problem for landlords and managing agents.
You issue a policy, circulate reminders and arrange inspections, but the same bicycle keeps appearing outside a flat entrance.
The important thing is to respond consistently.
Start by identifying who owns the equipment and explaining the safety concern directly.
Make sure the resident understands the policy, why the location is unsuitable and what alternatives may be available.
Where the behaviour continues, the lease, tenancy agreement or building management rules may provide mechanisms for further action.
However, those documents need to be checked before assuming a particular enforcement measure is available.
Managing agents shouldn’t simply confiscate or dispose of residents’ belongings without considering the legal position.
Where an obstruction or serious fire risk requires urgent action, suitable advice and lawful procedures should be followed.
Repeated breaches should be documented, together with the communications and actions undertaken.
This is particularly important where the building’s management has identified a serious risk but residents continue to ignore the precautions.
If the problem persists, the fire risk assessment and management arrangements may need reviewing.
A policy that exists on paper but isn’t followed in practice may not be providing the protection intended.
Does the Fire Risk Assessment Need Updating?
Yes, where the introduction of e-bikes, e-scooters or battery charging creates a new hazard or materially changes the fire risks associated with the premises.
Under Article 9(3) of the Fire Safety Order, the Responsible Person must keep the fire risk assessment under review, particularly where there’s reason to suspect it is no longer valid or where significant changes have occurred.
The Government’s guidance on e-bike and e-scooter batteries specifically identifies the introduction of these hazards as a reason for reviewing the fire risk assessment.
A building that previously had no battery-powered vehicles may now have several being stored or charged in communal areas.
The assessment should consider the locations involved, the type of equipment, any charging arrangements and the potential consequences of battery failure.
Crucially, it should examine how a fire and the associated release of toxic smoke could affect escape routes, residents and the building’s evacuation strategy.
In a converted residential building with a single staircase, the potential consequences could be particularly significant.
The assessment should also consider whether occupants may need assistance to escape and whether the existing compartmentation and fire protection arrangements are suitable.
It’s not enough to assess whether the bicycle physically obstructs the corridor during normal conditions.
The assessment needs to consider whether a battery fire could make that corridor or staircase unusable when people need it most.
Where unsafe storage has become a persistent problem, the effectiveness of the building’s management arrangements should also be reviewed.
The assessment should reflect what’s actually happening, not simply what the building rules say ought to happen.
What Records Should Managing Agents Keep?
Good records help demonstrate that fire safety risks are being identified and appropriately managed.
Under Article 11 of the Fire Safety Order, the Responsible Person must establish, implement and record suitable arrangements for planning, organising, controlling, monitoring and reviewing fire safety measures.
For e-bike storage and charging, we’d recommend retaining the relevant fire risk assessment findings, communal storage policy, inspection records and evidence of resident communications.
Where unsafe storage or charging is identified, record what was found, when the resident was contacted and what action followed.
If a dedicated storage or charging facility is provided, retain the relevant design information, installation records and maintenance documentation.
These records can be useful during future fire risk assessments, fire and rescue service inspections and changes of managing agent.
They also help identify recurring issues.
For example, if a particular corridor continues to be used for battery charging despite repeated reminders, that suggests the management arrangements may need improving.
The objective isn’t to create paperwork for its own sake.
It’s to demonstrate that the risks are understood, suitable precautions are in place and the arrangements are being followed.
Don’t Wait for a Battery Fire to Take Action
Electric bicycles and scooters are becoming an ordinary part of everyday life, and residential buildings need to adapt.
But that doesn’t mean communal escape routes should become improvised storage or charging areas.
A lithium-ion battery fire can develop rapidly, releasing toxic smoke, hot gases and intense heat.
In a communal hallway or staircase, those effects could compromise escape routes and expose residents to dangerous conditions before they have an opportunity to leave safely.
The consequences may extend far beyond the person who owns the vehicle.
Managing the risk requires more than a prohibition notice.
It involves a suitable fire risk assessment, clear building policies, regular resident communication, effective inspections and consideration of practical alternatives.
Managing agents, letting agents, landlords and RTM management companies all have roles to play according to their responsibilities.
And where residents repeatedly ignore the rules, the issue needs to be addressed rather than allowed to become normal practice.
The real question isn’t whether an e-bike leaves enough room for somebody to walk past. It’s whether the hallway or staircase would remain safe enough to use if its battery caught fire.
That’s the risk building managers need to understand and control.
Fire Risk Assessments for Blocks of Flats and HMOs
At ESI: Fire Safety, we help landlords, RTM companies, managing agents and residential property owners understand their fire safety responsibilities and manage the risks associated with communal areas.
Our services include fire risk assessments for blocks of flats and HMOs, fire door inspections, compartmentation surveys and practical fire safety consultancy.
We work with residential developments and mixed-use properties across Lymington in Hampshire, Godalming in Surrey, Sunningdale in Berkshire, Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex, Deal in Kent, Eynsham in Oxfordshire and Barnes in South West London, together with surrounding areas.
Whether residents have started storing e-bikes in communal corridors, you’re considering dedicated charging facilities or need help reviewing your building’s fire safety policies, we can assess the risks and recommend proportionate precautions.
We can also advise on resident communication arrangements and practical procedures for managing shared escape routes.
ESI: Fire Safety — No Shortcuts in Safety.
Contact ESI: Fire Safety or call 01276 300 351 to discuss your building’s fire risk assessment or communal fire safety arrangements.
This article focuses on residential fire safety requirements in England. The general duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 also apply in Wales, although the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the HMO management regulations discussed here apply specifically to England. The suitability of storage and charging arrangements depends on the individual building and its risks.
