Document Q Explained

November 6, 2017

Document Q Explained

Approved Document Q was introduced to improve security regulations for residential properties. From this coming October, the regulations outlined in Approved Document Q will come into full effect. As such, we thought it might be useful to shed some light on the common questions we’ve been hearing from our customers.
What buildings does Approved Document Q apply to?

Approved Document Q applies to all new dwellings including commercial properties (such as warehouses or barns) that are newly converted into a dwelling. Here a dwelling can be defined as “a place of residence or habitation” such as a house, flat or apartment. This includes student accommodation where groups of bedrooms share a final exit door (much like an apartment).

• New dwellings including homes and flats
• Conversions of commercial properties into dwellings
• Clustered student accommodation with a shared final exit door

What buildings are exempt from Approved Document Q?

Currently, existing homes, hotels and dwelling extensions are not required to meet the security requirements within Approved Document Q. In addition to this, student accommodation where bedrooms open onto a shared hallway, are also exempt from Approved Document Q.

• Existing dwellings
• Hotels (both new and existing)
• Extensions
• Student accommodation without shared final exit door

Which applications does Approved Document Q apply to?

• Residential entrance doors
• Balcony doors
• Easily accessible windows, roof windows and skylights
• Communal entrance doors (flats/apartments)
• Doors that allow access into common areas of a building, i.e. flats & apartments (including both egress and non-egress doors)
• Connecting doors between the garage and the dwelling (applies either to the connecting door OR any doors that allow external access to the garage)

Which products are exempt from Approved Document Q?

• Replacement windows

Where can I get more information?

We recommend you read Approved Document Q for yourself, which is readily available on the Government website. Should you require specific technical advice, we suggest contacting your local building control authority or industry technical body.

Approved Document Q was introduced to improve security regulations for residential properties, we thought it might be useful to shed some light on the common questions we’ve been hearing from our customers.