Fire rating requirements for overhanging floors

In the situation where a floor is overhanging close to, or on a boundary, there is a risk of fire spreading from an adjacent property. Therefore, the underside of the overhanging floor needs to be fire-rated.

The main fire risk for the overhanging floor will come from the lower floor of the neighbouring unit. If that were to catch fire, it would not burn through the inter-tenancy wall within 30 minutes, but it could pass through the external wall. In that instance, it would travel along the soffit to the adjacent unit’s overhanging floor.

However, as the fire will not quickly pass through the inter-tenancy wall, there is no need for the load-bearing elements below the overhanging floor to be fire rated.