Is my landlord responsible for the fire escape in my flat?

In your situation, the narrow staircase and ground floor hallway are considered 'common parts' [cite:uk-housing-act-2004-sec54]. Common parts are the shared areas of a building, such as hallways or stairs, that are not part of your private living space [cite:uk-housing-act-2004-sec54]. Because you live in a flat, the landlord has a duty to ensure the building does not present a fire hazard. The law includes provisions regarding "protection against fire in certain old buildings let in flats or tenements" [cite:uk-housing-act-2004-sec53]. This means that even though your building is old, the landlord cannot claim that blocking escape routes is "normal." Specifically, the law has historically addressed the "means of escape from fire" [cite:uk-housing-act-2004-sec53] and the "maintenance of means of escape from fire" [cite:uk-housing-act-2004-sec53]. While the provided text shows that certain older acts (like the County of Merseyside Act 1980) have been repealed or amended, the overarching purpose of the Housing Act 2004 is to manage hazards in residential premises. It is uncertain from the provided text alone exactly which specific local enforcement action will be taken, as the sections provided focus on the repeal of older laws rather than the specific penalty for a landlord blocking a hallway. However, the law recognizes that the safety of the "means of escape" is a critical legal requirement for buildings containing flats [cite:uk-housing-act-2004-sec53]. Your landlord's use of the hallway for storage creates a potential hazard in these shared areas.