Fire-safety duties for HMO landlords have moved steadily forward in the last few years. The headline obligations have not changed dramatically; the standard expected at inspection has. A property file that looked complete in 2020 will look thin today.
This is a short refresher — not legal advice — on the items most often missed when a council officer or insurer walks through an HMO.
A current, written fire risk assessment
Not a checklist downloaded once and filed. A genuine, property-specific risk assessment, dated, signed, and reviewed every time something material changes (new occupants, new layout, new appliances).
Detection and alarm coverage
- Interlinked smoke alarms on every storey used as living accommodation.
- Heat detector in every kitchen.
- Carbon monoxide alarms wherever there is a fuel-burning appliance.
- Routine testing logged, monthly is sensible.
Escape routes that are actually clear
A staircase used as a fire-escape route should not double as the residents’ informal storage area for bikes, prams and recycling. Inspect, photograph, and act if you find clutter.
Fire doors and self-closers
Doors with the correct rating, in the correct condition, fitted with working self-closers. Painted-shut letterplates, removed closers and propped-open doors are common findings. All of them invalidate the room’s fire compartmentation.
Tenant information
A simple fire-action notice on display, clearly worded, and tenant briefings recorded at sign-up. “The tenants should have known” is not a defence; “here is the briefing they signed” is.
A good rule of thumb: if you would not be comfortable handing your evidence file to an officer with thirty minutes’ notice, the file is not where it needs to be. Mid-term inspections are where the file is kept current, not annual reviews — and they are exactly where these issues are easiest to catch.
