Fire safety for B&Bs
& guesthouses.Properly assessed, from £295.
A B&B or guesthouse has the same fire safety duties as a 200-bedroom hotel. Many owners do not know that, partly because the premises feels more like a home than a business, and partly because nobody has ever told them. If you take paying guests who sleep under your roof, the fire safety order applies in full, and you need a fire risk assessment carried out by a competent person. We carry out assessments for B&Bs, guesthouses, and small paying guest accommodation across the North West and North Wales, proportionate to the size of your premises.
Who is the Responsible Person?
In a B&B the duty sits with the owner, and the fact that you also live there does not change that.
The owner running the B&B is the Responsible Person under fire safety law, in the same way as any other hospitality operator. The fact that the premises is also your home does not reduce the duty, though it does shape how the assessment is approached.
Where you live in the property alongside your guests, the private areas of the home are not covered by the fire safety order, but every area that guests can access, including corridors, bathrooms, dining rooms, and escape routes, is non-domestic and must be assessed.
For premises that are no more than two storeys and accommodate a maximum of ten guests, the government's guide for small paying guest accommodation, last updated January 2025, provides specific guidance. We are familiar with this guidance and assess small premises against it.
For guesthouses that are larger, multi-storey, or accommodate more than ten guests, the full sleeping accommodation fire safety guide applies, requiring a more comprehensive assessment.
The problems we
hear most often
Most B&B owners who come to us are not wilfully non-compliant. These are the situations we find most regularly.
"We have been running for years and never had an assessment done. We did not realise we needed one, or assumed it only applied to larger hotels."
This is the most common situation we encounter with B&Bs. The fire safety order has applied to all paying guest accommodation since 2006, regardless of size, and there is no exemption for small premises or owner-occupied guesthouses. We carry out assessments that are proportionate to the size and type of your premises, using the correct government guidance for your situation, and produce documentation that you can rely on.
"We have had bookings through Airbnb and similar platforms, and the platform has asked about fire safety. We do not know what we need to have in place."
Short-term letting platforms increasingly prompt hosts to confirm that fire safety measures are in place, and some include fire safety questions in their host requirements. The fire safety order applies to a property let to paying guests through any platform, not just traditional B&B bookings. We assess short-term letting properties and give you clear, documented evidence of compliance that you can reference on your host profile.
"We have had a visit from the local fire service or an environmental health officer, and fire safety was raised. We need to get things in order."
A visit from the fire service or environmental health is a prompt to take the assessment seriously. We can carry out a full assessment quickly, document what is in place and what needs attention, and produce the written evidence that satisfies the authority. We work with the government guidance specific to your size of premises so the response is proportionate and practical.
What makes B&Bs
different to assess
A B&B combines the sleeping risk of a hotel with the domestic character of a home, in a building that was often designed as a private house rather than paying guest accommodation.
Guests unfamiliar with the building
Paying guests sleeping in a B&B are in exactly the same position as hotel guests: unfamiliar with the layout, unable to see in the dark, and potentially disorientated when woken by an alarm. The escape route from every bedroom, alarm audibility in rooms, and the owner's ability to assist guests at night all need to be assessed.
A home that is also a business
Many B&Bs occupy buildings that feel domestic, with the owner living alongside guests. This can create a psychological reluctance to treat the premises as a business, with fire safety measures that feel intrusive in a home environment. A proportionate assessment finds measures that are effective without being disproportionate for a small premises.
Kitchen fire risk
Most B&Bs serve breakfast, which means a domestic or semi-commercial kitchen being used for daily cooking with guests in the adjacent dining room. Kitchen fire risk, the separation between the kitchen and escape routes, and the management of cooking while guests are present all need to be assessed.
Victorian and Edwardian conversions
Most B&Bs and guesthouses occupy older buildings, often Victorian or Edwardian houses, with timber floors, limited compartmentation, and stairwells that may open directly into bedrooms or landing areas. The construction of the building is a material factor in the assessment.
Up and down stairs
In a multi-storey guesthouse, the escape route for upper-floor bedrooms is typically a single staircase that also serves as the main access route. The protection of that staircase from fire and smoke, and whether guests can descend safely in an emergency, is the central question for the assessment.
Interconnected alarms in sleeping areas
Government guidance for small paying guest accommodation requires interlinked automatic detection covering sleeping areas, so that an alarm triggered anywhere in the premises sounds throughout. Many older B&Bs have standalone battery alarms that do not meet this standard.
Interlinked detection — what the guidance for small premises actually requires
The government's guide for small paying guest accommodation, updated January 2025, requires an interlinked automatic fire detection and warning system covering sleeping areas, so that a fire detected anywhere in the premises triggers an audible alarm throughout. Many B&B owners have standalone battery smoke alarms installed, which do not meet this standard because an alarm triggered in one room may not be heard in another. We assess your detection system against the current guidance for your size of premises and advise on what is required.
Three services.
Proportionate to your premises.
Fire risk assessments, fire door inspections, and fire safety training, delivered by one company that understands small paying guest accommodation and the guidance that applies to it.
Fire risk assessments
From £295 per assessmentAn assessment proportionate to the size and type of your premises, using the correct government guidance for small or larger paying guest accommodation. Clear written report, practical action list, and documentation you can reference with booking platforms and inspectors.
- Sleeping accommodation escape routes assessed
- Detection system assessed against current guidance
- Kitchen and breakfast service risk covered
- Building construction and compartmentation reviewed
- Proportionate recommendations for a small premises
- Documentation suitable for fire authority and booking platforms
Fire door inspections
From £14 per doorB&B fire doors on escape routes, between the kitchen and guest areas, and on stairwells are critical. We inspect every component and give you a clear condition record.
- Frame, leaf, intumescent seals, hinges & hardware
- Self-closing devices and smoke seals
- Stairwell, kitchen, and bedroom corridor doors
- Photographic evidence per door
- Prioritised remedial recommendations
Fire safety training
From £395 per sessionPractical fire safety awareness for B&B owners and any staff, focused on small premises including how to assist guests at night and the specific challenges of a domestic-feel building.
- Fire safety awareness for owners and staff
- Assisting guests at night and managing a small evacuation
- Kitchen fire response
- Hands-on extinguisher use on a live fire
- Certificates issued to all attendees
The framework
B&Bs work within
A B&B has exactly the same fire safety duties as a hotel. The size of the premises shapes what is proportionate, not whether the duty applies.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to all premises where paying guests sleep, regardless of size. A two-bedroom B&B has the same legal obligation as a 200-bedroom hotel, though the scope of what is proportionate is very different. The government published a specific guide, Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire, most recently updated January 2025, which sets out in plain English what is required for small premises. We assess against this guide.
For larger guesthouses, those that are more than two storeys or accommodate more than ten guests, the full sleeping accommodation fire safety guide applies, requiring a more comprehensive approach to detection, escape, and staff arrangements. We apply the correct guidance for the size and type of your premises.
Many B&B owners are also subject to local authority inspection by environmental health or the fire service, particularly where the premises is also registered for short-term letting. Booking platforms including Airbnb increasingly require hosts to confirm fire safety measures are in place. A current, documented fire risk assessment is the clearest evidence of compliance for all of these.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Always appliesApplies to all paying guest accommodation regardless of size. Failure to comply can result in unlimited fines or prohibition of the premises.
Small paying guest accommodation guide
January 2025Government guidance specifically for premises that are no more than two storeys and accommodate up to ten guests. Sets out detection, escape, and management requirements.
Sleeping accommodation guide
Larger guesthousesApplies to guesthouses that are larger or more complex than the small premises threshold. More comprehensive requirements for detection, escape, and staff training.
Booking platform requirements
Short-term lettingPlatforms including Airbnb increasingly require hosts to confirm fire safety measures. A current fire risk assessment is the clearest evidence for platform compliance.
Experience you can
put in a report.
Tim founded Fletcher Risk Management to bring genuine expertise and personal accountability to fire safety consultancy in the North West. With more than 30 years in the fire industry, he has assessed B&Bs and guesthouses across the region, from small owner-occupied conversions to larger guesthouses. He understands how to produce an assessment that is proportionate for a small premises, realistic about what a small operator can do, and sufficient to satisfy both the fire service and a booking platform. When you book with Fletcher Risk, Tim carries out the work.
- ABBE Level 4 Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment
- NEBOSH National General Certificate
- FPA Fire Safety Management Certificate
- Member — Fire Protection Association
Sam oversees operations and brings both fire safety qualifications and a legal background to the practice. For hospitality operators navigating licensing obligations or insurer requirements alongside fire safety law, Sam's LLB and operational background mean the documentation is framed to satisfy all three.
- ABBE Level 4 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- 10+ years fire safety experience
"We have engaged Fletcher Risk Management to carry out surveys on a number of our sites for a very important client. The work produced exceeded our expectations by far. I would definitely recommend using this company." — Marie Morgan · EIS Ltd ★★★★★
"Without doubt one of the best and most professional businesses I have used for our Fire Risk Assessment. Tim Fletcher is a highly regarded professional in his field. Don't take a chance — protect your staff, protect your building."
"We have engaged Fletcher Risk Management to carry out surveys on a number of our sites. I would never hesitate to send Tim — always professional, friendly and accommodating. The work exceeded our expectations."
"Thorough, professional, and excellent value. The report was clear and the action points prioritised in a way that made it easy to know exactly what to tackle first. Would recommend without hesitation."
Book an assessment
built for your premises.
Whether you need a fresh assessment, clarity on what the current guidance requires for your size of premises, or help responding to a fire service visit, we can help. Call us for an honest conversation with no obligation.