Fire safety responsibilities for landlords have expanded significantly in recent years. This guide covers everything you need to have in place across your rental properties.
Fire safety compliance is one of the most critical areas of landlord responsibility. Failures can result in tragedy as well as significant legal, financial and reputational consequences. This comprehensive guide covers fire safety requirements for both standard rental properties and HMOs.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Since October 2022, landlords must install smoke alarms on every storey of their properties and carbon monoxide alarms in every room with a gas boiler or other gas appliance. These requirements apply to all residential rental properties in England.
Alarms must be in working order at the start of each new tenancy. It's good practice — and increasingly expected — to test alarms at each inspection during the tenancy and document this.
Battery-operated alarms are acceptable for basic compliance, but in HMOs and larger properties, mains-wired, interlinked alarm systems are required (and provide significantly better protection).
HMO fire safety requirements
HMOs have substantially enhanced fire safety requirements compared to single-let properties. Depending on the size and layout of the HMO, requirements typically include:
Grade A fire alarm systems — mains-powered, interlinked smoke detectors in all rooms and corridors, heat detectors in kitchens, manual call points.
Fire-rated doors — FD30S (30-minute fire resistant) doors with self-closing devices on all rooms leading off escape routes. Kitchen doors are often required to be FD30.
Emergency lighting — battery-backed emergency lighting in corridors, staircases and escape routes.
Fire extinguishers — typically required in kitchen and communal areas.
Formal Fire Risk Assessment — for HMOs with five or more occupants, a written Fire Risk Assessment by a competent person is required. This must be reviewed annually or when there are significant changes.
The Building Safety Act 2022
The Building Safety Act 2022, enacted following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, introduced new requirements for higher-risk residential buildings (those over 18 metres or 7 storeys). For these buildings, a new regulatory regime — overseen by the Building Safety Regulator — applies, including requirements for Building Safety Cases, building safety managers and resident engagement.
Most landlords are unlikely to own buildings of this height, but those who do must ensure they understand and comply with the new regime.
Fire safety in converted properties
Properties that have been converted from commercial or other uses — particularly older converted houses divided into flats — often present fire safety challenges that weren't considered when the conversion was originally carried out. Compartmentation (fire resistance between units), means of escape from upper floors and the presence of old construction materials can all create risks.
A fire risk assessment conducted by a competent assessor will identify any deficiencies and specify the improvements required.
Practical fire safety measures
Beyond compliance requirements, practical fire safety measures that all landlords should implement include: ensuring tenants understand how to operate fire alarms and what to do in the event of fire; providing fire escape information prominently; ensuring means of escape (windows, fire doors) are not blocked; and checking that tenants are not using portable cooking appliances or other high-risk equipment inappropriately.
Our management service ensures fire safety compliance is maintained across all managed properties. Contact us on 01268 944120 for advice on your specific properties.