What should I consider with HMO fire safety?
Posted on 2nd February 2023 at 15:10
With HMOs extra steps have to be taken to ensure that the property's fire safety is on point.
The reason why it's more important to have the fire safety measures within a HMO compared to a single let is because the risk of a fire breaking out is much greater than in a single family home.
Some of the reasons are:
Multiple portable heating appliances may be used
There's often more than one kitchen present, kitchens can be shared by a number of individual tenants
Electrical circuits can become overloaded
When meeting the fire safety requirements it can be as easy as a tick box exercise when you know what's needed, below are a list of items which are needed for a low risk HMO:
Grade D fire alarm system
Smoke detector to hall and landing at each level
All doors should be sound, well-constructed and close fitting (Non-fire resisting glazed doors, doors of flimsy construction or hollow infill-type doors will not be accepted)
Fire blanket required in all shared kitchens
Security locks
The level of fire safety which needs to be applied to your HMO is based on the level of risk: low, medium (normal) and high.
These are the following factors that are considered when deciding the risk level of a property:
Occupancy level and profile
Layout and complexity of the escape
Travel distance to a place of safety
Type of constriction and state of repair
Confidence in management
Vulnerability of occupiers
Social interaction in the house or cohesion between occupiers
Tenancy
Type of heating
Number of stories
Please note that this information is from Bristol Council fire safety standards. It's important for you to do your own due diligence with information that your local council provides on their website.
A HMO comes with a lot of responsibilities. That's why it's so important that quality HMOs are provided for the demanding tenants.
We at TK Lifestyle properties make sure that we provide top quality rooms for our tenants and create an environment where the household get on without the house being on fire as we've followed the regulations to a tee.
If you've got a HMO and are looking for guaranteed rent or even have any questions related to HMOs, feel free to go to the Landlord Management Services page on our website (click HERE), or contact us on email.
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