Alcohol, accommodation and fire safety
Understanding a predictable risk in HMOs and student housing
Alcohol is a normal and well-established part of life in many HMOs and student properties. In these settings, fire safety challenges usually arise from ordinary behaviour carried out with reduced attention, slower reactions and poorer judgement. This article focuses only on HMOs and student accommodation. It does not cover supported housing, care settings or accommodation with formal support arrangements, which carry different risks and responsibilities.
How alcohol influences fire risk in shared housing
Alcohol affects awareness, coordination and decision-making. In practical terms, this can mean cooking that runs longer than intended, smoking materials disposed of carelessly, or alarms dismissed. In HMOs and student blocks, early fire cues are often subtle. A faint smell, light smoke, or a detector sounding elsewhere in the building. Alcohol reduces the likelihood that these signals are recognised quickly or acted on decisively. Occupants may investigate rather than evacuate, delay leaving, or assume someone else will deal with it. We will go into the details of each in the following sections.
Cooking, late-night use and shared kitchens
Cooking remains the most common cause of fires in student accommodation and HMOs. Alcohol increases risk through distraction and fatigue, particularly late at night. Shared kitchens are often used at unsociable hours, with multiple occupants coming and going. A realistic fire strategy recognises that people will cook when tired, distracted or impaired, and ensures that detection, layout and management arrangements reflect this. Where alarm systems are poorly suited to how kitchens are actually used, repeated nuisance activations can lead to complacency. Over time, alarms lose authority, and the effectiveness of the entire fire strategy is weakened. If your accomodation has false alarm issues, it may be time to upgrade.
Smoking, vaping and charging behaviour
Despite tenancy rules, alcohol increases the likelihood of smoking indoors or close to buildings. Bedrooms, balconies and communal areas can quickly become higher-risk spaces, particularly where soft furnishings and waste storage are not well managed. Vaping introduces an additional and growing concern. Charging devices overnight, sometimes using unsuitable chargers or damaged batteries, is common in shared accommodation. Combined with alcohol-related fatigue, these risks are often unnoticed until a fault or fire occurs. Fire safety arrangements need to assume these behaviours will happen occasionally, rather than relying solely on enforcement or signage. If smoking or vaping is becoming a concern in your accomodation, we have further guidance here.
Alarm response and evacuation behaviour
In buildings with frequent false alarms, occupants often develop informal judgements about whether an alarm is “real”. Alcohol significantly increases the likelihood that alarms are ignored, silenced or treated casually. In student accommodation and HMOs, this can lead to a normalisation of unsafe behaviour, where delayed evacuation becomes routine. When a genuine fire occurs, that delay can have serious consequences. Clear alarm audibility, sensible system design and consistent management response are critical to maintaining confidence in fire warning systems.
Responsibility and realistic fire risk assessment
Fire safety law does not require landlords or managing agents to control alcohol consumption. It does require them to identify foreseeable risks and put proportionate control measures in place. In HMOs and student accommodation, alcohol-related behaviour is predictable. A competent fire risk assessment should acknowledge this openly and consider whether fire precautions remain effective when occupants are tired, distracted or impaired. Fire strategies that rely on perfect behaviour are fragile. Those designed around real-world use are far more resilient.
Final thought
Alcohol-related fire risk in HMOs and student housing is predictable and manageable, but only if it is properly assessed. Fletcher Risk works with landlords and managing agents to deliver realistic, proportionate fire risk assessments for shared accommodation. Contact us to discuss your property or arrange an assessment.
Disclaimer
This article provides general fire safety information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Fire safety requirements vary depending on building type, occupancy and local enforcement expectations. A competent fire risk assessment should always be carried out for individual premises.
(C) Fletcher Risk Team - 23 February 2026