Delhi notifies new fire safety rules for high-rise buildings

A six-metre clear route for fire engines is among the requirements in Delhi’s newly notified fire safety rules for high-rise buildings.

The Delhi Fire Service (Amendment) Rules, 2026, bring fire safety standards in line with the updated Unified Building Bye-Laws. Requirements will vary by a building’s height and type of occupancy, and include protected exits, fire lifts, sprinkler and fire-suppression systems, smoke barriers, emergency power backups, fire control rooms, fire-check floors and refuge areas.

The rules list 18 categories of safety measures for fire-safety certification, no-objection certificates and third-party audits. A standardised auditor inspection checklist is also planned.

The changes follow recent fire incidents, including the Malviya Nagar hotel fire in which 23 people died. Owners or occupiers may be asked to install additional measures where the bye-laws do not cover a building’s safety needs.

The rules will begin only when the Delhi Development Authority notifies the amended Unified Building Bye-Laws, while applications already pending at that point will be assessed under the rules in force when they were filed.