<p>Because of the increased risks associated with having multiple unrelated tenants in a property, the fire safety regulations are tighter for HMOs</p>
Because of the increased risks associated with having multiple unrelated tenants in a property, the fire safety regulations are tighter for HMOs.
Every HMO must have a written risk assessment carried out annually.
Fire alarms. Every HMO must have:
A smoke alarm on each storey where there is living accommodation
A smoke alarm in each individual ‘unit’ (i.e. bedroom or bedsit)
A heat alarm in high-risk rooms, such as kitchens
The alarms must be interconnected and mains powered. If the HMO is three storeys or higher, an alarm system with a central panel is required.
Landlords must also:
Make sure the alarm system is maintained in good working order
Have a competent person carry out maintenance on the fire alarm system, according to the manufacturer’s instructions
Provide evidence of the regular checking/servicing of fire alarms to the local authority on request
Additional fire safety requirements for HMOs:
Thumb-turn locks on the main exit doors
Fire doors, fitted with closers
Simple multi-purpose fire extinguishers on each floor in the common parts (e.g. hallway and landings)
A fire blanket in the kitchen
Annual PAT tests on all electrical items provided
Your local authority may impose other requirements, such as emergency lighting and escape route signage, so you must check with the housing department before letting the property.
We recommend landlords of HMOs also have a local fire safety officer visit the property to confirm the legal obligations that apply and advise you on the most appropriate steps to take.
In May 2022, the Government announced the commencement of the Fire Safety Act and new regulations that deliver fire safety improvements in multi-occupied residential buildings (HMOs). These new duties for building owners or managers include:
Ensuring that fire and rescue services have the information they need to plan their response to a fire in a high-rise building
Providing residents with fire safety instructions and information on the importance of fire doors
For buildings over 11m in height, annual checks of flat entrance doors and quarterly checks of all fire doors in the common parts
For more information, visit GOV.UK.
Ignoring these changes will lead to claims for redress and in extreme cases, a criminal prosecution – so do not take these responsibilities lightly.
Since the Grenfell Tower fire, various changes have been made to the rules around fire safety for blocks of flats. These are mainly concerned with the removal of dangerous cladding, which was what caused the fire at Grenfell to spread so quickly.
Owners of flats in buildings with cladding now require an EWS1 form to sell or re-mortgage their property. A professional assessor must check specific fire safety standards for the main construction of the building, including inspecting the cladding.
Only one assessment is needed per building – i.e. flats don’t need to be individually assessed – and the EWS1 form is valid for five years.
At the end of April 2022, the Building Safety Act was passed, which will fundamentally change how buildings are designed, built and managed and bring forward “the biggest improvements in building safety for a generation.” (DLUHC)
And on 28 June 2022 protections came into force under the Act for qualifying leaseholders of properties in a building above 11 metres or five storeys. As long you own no more than three UK residential properties:
You won’t have to pay to remove dangerous cladding
The amount you can be asked to contribute to fixing other historical building safety defects is firmly capped
Developers that have signed the Government’s Building Safety Pledge will pay to fix all life-critical fire-safety risks, including non-cladding defects.
While much of the legislation under the Building Safety Act has still to be clarified, some of the key changes include:
A new Building Safety Regulator will be created, to facilitate building safety in higher-risk buildings
There will be a new Building Control Regime for higher-risk buildings of at least 18m in height or at least seven storeys, with a new system of registration and supervision of building inspectors and ‘approvers’
New provisions for assessing and managing safety in higher-risk buildings
The Landlord and Tenant Act will be amended so landlords are obliged to comply with their building safety duties and any special measures orders, and they will be able to recover the costs through building safety charges payable by leaseholders (with certain protections)
See GOV.UK for more information.
Type your content here…Need a fire risk assessment template? Download our useful landlord fire risk assessment template here