4 fire safety laws landlord must comply with

With more than 2.5 million premises in the UK requiring fire safety audits, it’s clear not every facility, building or rental property will get a visit from the fire authority. In fact, analysis of Home Office data carried out by Direct365 found it would take 48 years for the UK’s fire services to inspect every building just once.

That puts huge pressure on landlords to understand and implement fire safety regulations. It’s an essential job but a complex one, with different rules for single-household buy-to-lets, leaseholder landlords in managed blocks, HMOs and block owners. 

This comprehensive, but not exhaustive or complete, list details the top four fire safety areas landlords need to focus on. 

1. Alarms: fire safety alarms take two forms: smoke and carbon monoxide. England, Wales and Scotland share some common ground: landlords must fit at least one smoke alarm to every storey of a rented property; all alarms should be audibly tested and documented at the start of every new tenancy, and the landlord is responsible for repairing or replacing alarms if faults are reported (but can expect the tenant to change any batteries).

There are some country-specific smoke alarm differences. In Scotland, smoke alarms should be interlinked and ceiling mounted. There should also be an alarm in the room that is used the most, an alarm in each circulation space and a heat alarm in every kitchen. In Wales, smoke alarms must be mains operated, interlinked and not run off batteries.

Carbon monoxide alarms are another mandatory requirement. Landlords in England, Wales and Scotland must provide a carbon monoxide alarm in each room that contains a gas appliance, an oil-fired combustion appliance or a solid fuel burning combustion appliance. These appliances can include an oil-fired boiler or a wood-burning stove. Gas cookers are, however, excluded in England and Scotland. 

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) may be subjected to extra smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations. Landlords must contact their local authority for guidance. 

2. Fire doors: fire doors were highlighted as an imperative fire safety feature after the Grenfell Tower fire. They stop the spread of smoke and flames, giving residents longer to escape. Fire doors are a primary concern for leasehold landlords who have flats in blocks, landlords who own blocks and landlords with HMOs. 

Fire doors must be regularly inspected: how frequently depends on the nature of the accommodation. For example, a landlord with a leasehold flat in a bigger block will usually find their flat’s individual front door is a fire door. Although the block manager is usually responsible for booking an annual check, it falls to the landlord to organise repairs and replacements.

A landlord who owns a block will be responsible for fire exits, communal doors and other fire safety measures, in addition to individual front doors. There are other rules pertaining to HMOs, based on the property’s size, composition and ruling local authority.

3. Escape routes: all landlords are required to provide access to a clear and uncluttered escape route. In large HMOs and blocks, this remit may extend to emergency lighting, signage, assembly points and extra inspections.  

4. Furniture & furnishings: offering a part or fully-furnished buy-to-let carries extra fire safety responsibilities. All furniture and furnishings provided by the landlord must comply with Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988/1989, 1993 and 2010. 

You can tell an item complies if it has a permanent fire safety label – something that is legally required on upholstered items and furnishings. A landlord must ensure the label is still attached when buying second hand.

Further reading for landlords

The following guidance is useful:

England

• Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022

• Fact sheet: Fire doors (regulation 10)

• A guide to making your small block of flats safe from fire

• Managing safety risks in high-rise residential buildings: a detailed guide

• Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988/1989, 1993 and 2010

• Fire Safety For Communal Area in Flats and HMO

 Scotland

• Fire detection in private rented properties: guidance

• Carbon monoxide alarms in private rented properties: guidance

• Fire safety - existing premises with sleeping accommodation: practical guidance

Wales

• Fire Safety Risk Assessment

• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: How to evidence they are in place

• Fire doors in blocks of flats and similar buildings

If you have any doubts about fire safety in a property you rent out, or need help interpreting the law, please contact us.