Essential Fire Safety Guide for HMO Landlords: Protect Your Tenants and Property
Owning and managing a rental property, especially a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), comes with significant responsibilities. Among the most crucial of these is ensuring fire safety. A fire in your property can be devastating, not only causing extensive damage that can render your home uninhabitable but also putting your tenants' lives at risk. This is particularly true in properties like HMOs, where multiple, unrelated tenants live together. With fire risks seven times higher in rented or shared accommodations, according to national statistics , it’s essential for landlords to prioritise fire safety.
Why Fire Safety Matters
Fires can occur for various reasons, from unattended appliances and overuse of extension leads to more avoidable hazards like smoking indoors or misuse of cooking equipment. Even a small mistake can lead to a significant fire, causing not only physical damage but also financial loss and, most importantly, endangering lives.
Understanding the Risks
Recent statistics highlight the ongoing danger. For the year ending in March 2023, fire and rescue services in England attended 26,822 primary dwelling fires. While the overall number of fires has decreased over the years, the potential for devastation remains high. Misuse of equipment or appliances was responsible for 37% of these fires, while deliberate actions accounted for over 10%.
Landlord Fire Safety Responsibilities
As a landlord, you have a legal obligation to take specific steps to protect your property and tenants. The basic requirements include:
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Install a working smoke alarm on each floor and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a solid fuel-burning appliance. These alarms must be checked and maintained regularly.
Access to Escape Routes: Ensure tenants have access to safe and unobstructed escape routes at all times, with emergency lighting and fire-resistant materials where necessary.
Fire-Safe Furniture and Furnishings: All furniture provided by the landlord must meet fire safety standards.
Fire Extinguishers and Blankets: While only legally required in large HMOs, it is advisable to provide fire extinguishers and blankets as an extra precaution, ensuring tenants know how to use them.
Fire Risk Assessment: Conduct regular fire risk assessments to identify potential hazards and implement necessary safety measures.
Fire Doors: Install and maintain fire doors, especially in HMOs, to help contain fires and provide tenants with more time to escape.
Electrical Safety: Ensure that the property's electrical installations are inspected and tested every five years. It’s also wise to have portable appliance testing (PAT) done on any electrical appliances provided.
Gas Safety: Perform annual gas safety checks to ensure that all gas appliances and flues are safe and functioning correctly.
Banning Smoking Indoors: Consider implementing a no-smoking policy inside the property to reduce the risk of fires caused by cigarettes.
The Importance of Communication and Tenant Responsibilities
While landlords must meet their legal obligations, tenants also play a crucial role in fire prevention. Effective communication between landlords and tenants is key to ensuring everyone understands the importance of fire safety. Landlords should provide clear instructions on testing alarms, avoiding fire hazards in the kitchen, and maintaining safe escape routes. Tenants should also be made aware of the actions to take upon an outbreak of fire in their home as part of their introduction to the property with the emergency evacuation plan displayed within the communal noticeboard to remind tenants of the action to take in case of fire.
What to Do in the Event of a Fire
If a fire does occur, immediate action is crucial:
Raise the alarm immediately alerting everyone in your home
Only use fire extinguishers or blankets on a very small fire, if safe to do so. If in doubt get out.
Call emergency services once safely outside the property
Ensure the property is safe before re-entry.
Final Thoughts
Fire safety is an ongoing responsibility that requires vigilance and proactive measures. For HMO landlords, this means going beyond the basics to ensure that every aspect of fire safety is covered, from installing alarms and maintaining escape routes to regular safety checks and proper communication with tenants.
To learn more about protecting your rental property and ensuring compliance with fire safety regulations, consult with your fire risk assessor. Protecting your property and your tenants is not just a legal requirement—it’s the right thing to do.