HMO Fire Safety Guide

HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) have different regulations when it comes to fire safety when compared to other domestic dwellings. To protect lives and keep in accordance with legislation, landlords and letting agents must ensure they identify fire safety hazards and mitigate any risk. 

In this HMO fire safety guide, we’ll take you through your responsibilities in identifying risk and how you can reduce fire risk in HMO properties. 

Do you need an HMO licence? 

HMOs are dwelling places where three tenants live in more than one household but who share a common area, such as stairways or entrance halls. The Housing Act 2004 outlines that anyone who is a landlord of an HMO with five or more people, or premises comprising two or more households, must obtain a licence from the appropriate local housing department. If you’re unsure if your property needs a licence, it’s always best to double-check to ensure your adhering to legislation. 

These licences ensure that you are meeting certain safety requirements outlined in Buildings Standards, the full legislation and guidance of which can be found online. 

Identifying fire safety risks in HMO properties 

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, all landlords are required by duty to conduct fire risk assessments at their HMOs. That’s because it’s your responsibility to ensure the safety of those living in an HMO you run. 

A fire risk assessment should be carried out by a responsible and/or qualified person to identify hazards at your premises and put measures and precautions in place to reduce the risks posed by these fire hazards. 

Potential hazards could include: 

• Cooking equipment 
• Flammable materials 
• Boilers and heaters
• Oxygen storage 
• Electrical equipment 

The findings of a fire risk assessment will vary depending on the floor plan and specific details of the premises, and the risk assessment should be kept updated with changes. 

How to reduce fire risk in HMO properties 

All fire safety systems put in place to mitigate risk must comply with Building Standards and the Fire Safety Order, so make sure you are familiar with all relevant legislation when purchasing and installing fire safety equipment. The reduction methods of fire risk should almost come out of the findings from the fire risk assessment. 

Some of the precautions that can be put in place at HMO properties include: 

• Fire alarms and smoke detector systems to give occupants an early warning of smoke or possible developing fire incidents. Ideally, they should be mains-powered and interlinked to one another, and the number required will depend on the size of your building and how many storeys there are. Fire detection systems should follow BS5839 standards. These alarms should be regularly inspected and tested. 
• Fire extinguishers are not a legal requirement of HMOs, but your fire risk assessment may recommend that you have them. The fire extinguishers chosen should be of the correct type to suit the sort of fire most likely to occur in the building. A fire safety expert should be able to give more advice on which fire extinguisher is most effective for specific classes of fire.
• You should ensure there are clear unobstructed escape routes without trip hazards to allow safe egress out of a building. 
• Fire doors should be placed in the most appropriate areas to slow the spread of fire, usually on doorways along the escape route. Once again, get a professional opinion on the best location for these specialist doors. It’s a legal requirement for these fire doors to be present and self-closing. They should be complete with smoke seals and fitted with intumescent strips, as these fire door features grant occupants around 30 minutes of fire and smoke resistance – vital time to exit a building. 
• Fire signs should be installed that present clear, visible markers to direct occupants out of a building using the correct fire escape routes. 
• Emergency lighting should be provided to ensure that when people are leaving a building in a fire event, they can clearly see where they are going. HMOs of a smaller size may be exempt from this rule, as torches may be satisfactory, but double-check the requirements. 
• Combustible materials should ideally be kept away from sources of fire or ignition. 
• Following BS 6575, fire blankets are a simple but effective item that kitchens need to have to smother any flames resulting from pan fires. 

If you’re unsure about your HMO fire safety responsibilities, talk to a professional company about how you can best protect your property and the people living there. 

Protect the people in HMOs with high-quality fire safety equipment from our experts. We’re a leading provider of fire extinguishers, fire safety accessories, fire safety signs, and everything you could possibly need to enhance the fire safety of your site. 

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