Fire safety regulations for landlords

A landlord’s responsibility is to make sure that you are providing a safe place for your tenants to live. Within this realm sits fire safety.

There are a lot of fire safety regulations for landlords and it often differs from country to country. Particularly after tragic incidents such as the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, it’s extremely important to show that you’ve done what you can do to ensure that your tenants are as safe as possible from fire breaking out.

Let’s explain fire safety regulations for landlords and what you can do to keep your tenants safe from risk.

What are fire safety regulations for landlords?

In short, a landlord is responsible for keeping the property safe and free from fire hazards. There must be a smoke alarm on each storey and access to escape routes at all times. Your property’s electrics and gas must always have up-to-date safety certificates and your appliances need to have a portable appliance test annually.

Make sure that all furniture and furnishings that you supply are fire-resistant. This includes all upholstered furnishings such as sofas and armchairs, beds, headboards and mattresses, cushions, seat pads and sofa beds. There will be a fire-resistant symbol on every piece of fire safety tested piece of furniture, so look out for that when kitting out your rental.

It’s one thing getting to grips with all of the current rules around fire safety regulations for landlords, but you also need to keep up to date with any changes. If not, you could end up with tens and thousands of pounds worth of fines – or worse, something could happen to your tenant under your watch. The Gov.UK website is a good place to start with any legislation changes.

Changes to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

On 1st October 2023, notable changes came into effect to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RR(FS)O). These changes primarily focus on documentation, record-keeping and information sharing.

Landlords must now record their fire risk assessments in full, including contact details of the person who conducted it and must share fire safety information with other responsible people in the building. The changes also brought increased penalties into effect for non-compliance with fire safety regulations for landlords.

For buildings over 11 metres in height or HMOs with room-only lets, landlords must now also conduct annual checks on flat entrance doors and quarterly checks on fire doors in communal areas.

What are HMO fire safety regulations for landlords?

HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) in particular carry a heightened fire risk due to the number of occupants sharing the property. Plus, the means of escape can be more complex, making it more difficult for occupants to vacate the building swiftly should a fire occur. If you are a HMO landlord, it’s really important to be well aware (and compliant!) of HMO fire regulations.

So, what exactly are your responsibilities as a HMO landlord when it comes to HMO fire regulations? Firstly, every room including communal areas such as kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms, must have interconnected smoke alarms. You must also ensure that there is a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with fuel-burning appliances.

Fire doors should be fitted to all internal doors, including those leading to communal areas and individual flats. These doors should be self-closing and have intumescent stripes to prevent the spread of smoke and fire. Clear and unobstructed escape routes must be maintained, including staircases and exits and emergency lighting should be provided in common areas to facilitate safe evacuation in case of a power failure. You must also provide fire safety information to tenants and conduct regular fire drills.

We recommend that you always consult with your local fire authority for detailed advice around HMO fire safety regulations for landlords. Specific requirements may vary depending on the size and layout of your HMO.

What about if I use a letting agent – whose responsibility is it then?

When using a letting agent, you’ll need to check with them or in their terms and conditions who is technically responsible for any fire safety breaches. If it’s you that’s responsible, make sure you’re really clear on what they are doing to meet standards and if they’re doing what you deem to be enough.

If they’re the ones that are responsible, it’s still a good idea to be in the know. Also, be sure to check their lettings qualifications. Make sure whoever you go with knows what they’re doing. Ideally, they should be part of a recognised regulatory body such as ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents) or safeagent. Speaking of responsibility, if you’re doing any improvements or refurbishments on a property, you also need to be following the latest rules and regulations – even if it’s not you that’s undertaking the work. It’s your responsibility to ensure that the work that’s being done meets standards.

Do I need to install carbon monoxide alarms?

Carbon monoxide alarms act as a warning system within the property to alert the tenant in case of a fire. It also detects carbon monoxide – as the name suggests – which is known as a silent killer. This gas finds its way into a house through a few different seemingly harmless sources and even in small doses, carbon monoxide can be really dangerous.

Generally speaking, a carbon monoxide alarm is only needed by law in England in any room with a solid fuel-burning appliance, such as a coal fire or wood-burning stove. It’s good practice however to install one in your property, regardless of whether it features a solid fuel-burning appliance. They’re not at all expensive and they provide the peace of mind that you’ll never end up in a horrible carbon monoxide poisoning situation.

What can I do to make my rental property as safe as possible?

The overriding principle is to be able to prove that you’ve done everything reasonably expected to protect tenants. There are a lot of things that you can implement to help prevent a fire and adhere to fire safety regulations for landlords.

A good place to start is to carry out your fire risk assessment. Identify hire hazards, the people at risk and evaluate potential risks. Then, rremove or reduce these risks if possible. If not, protect against the remaining risks. Record what you’ve done and inform your tenants on what they should do in the event of a fire. Repeat this process annually, taking into consideration any new fire safety regulations for landlords. Claiming ‘I didn’t know’ to an enforcement officer or in a court won’t in your defence.

It’s also a good idea to keep an inventory of items that you’ve provided in the property. All it takes is for your tenant to put something that isn’t fire resistant in a high-risk area. Keeping an inventory means that if something was to happen, you can prove that it wasn’t your fault.

If you’re up for going above and beyond, make sure there are functioning smoke alarms in any rooms used for daytime living, including hallways and landings. Install a heat alarm in the kitchen and make sure that all alarms are interlinked. That way, you’ll be seen as doing as much as possible to keep your tenants safe.

If you’re not confident enough to carry out your own risk assessment, have a qualified Fire Risk Assessor come in and do the checks for you to relieve the burden. Sometimes, a bad situation can’t be avoided, no matter how careful you are. Your tenants may not be the ones who understand or follow the rules, but all you can do is your best to ensure that the property is as safe as possible from fire risks and hazards.

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