Fire safety checklist for landlords

Fire safety rules for rented homes differ across the four UK nations, and HMOs carry extra duties on top. This checklist covers the essentials. Always check your local council's licence conditions too, as they often go further than the national minimum.

Every rented home

• Smoke alarms. At least one on every storey used as living accommodation. In Scotland and Wales they must be interlinked, and in Wales mains-powered.
• Carbon monoxide alarms. In England, in any room with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker. Scotland and Wales have similar requirements.
• Check alarms at the start of each tenancy. In England, landlords must make sure alarms are working on the first day of a new tenancy.
• Electrical safety. An EICR at least every five years in England, Wales and Scotland, and remedial work completed within the required time.
• Gas safety. An annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with a copy for tenants.
• Furniture. Any furniture you provide must meet the fire resistance requirements of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations.
• Escape. Keep escape routes clear and make sure windows intended for escape can be opened.

HMOs

Houses in multiple occupation usually need much more:

• A fire risk assessment of the common parts.
• A mains-wired, interlinked fire alarm to BS 5839-6. Small two-storey HMOs often need Grade D1 LD2. Larger HMOs, especially over three storeys, commonly need a Grade A system with a control panel.
• Fire doors to bedrooms and kitchens, often with self-closers.
• Emergency lighting on escape routes in larger HMOs.
• A fire blanket in each shared kitchen.
• Regular testing and servicing of the alarm and emergency lighting, with records.

Nation by nation

• England. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, and the Housing Act 2004 for HMOs.
• Wales. Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 fitness regulations: mains-powered interlinked smoke alarms on every storey, CO alarms, and an electrical report every five years.
• Scotland. The tolerable standard requires interlinked smoke and heat alarms in every home, plus CO alarms where needed. The Repairing Standard requires an EICR every five years.
• Northern Ireland. Fitness standards for private tenancies include smoke, heat and CO alarms and five-yearly electrical checks. HMOs are licensed under the Houses in Multiple Occupation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016.

Keep the paperwork

In a dispute with a tenant, a council or an insurer, what matters is what you can prove. Keep certificates, test records and photographs in one place, and update them every time something changes.