What Are The Fire Regulations For Rental Properties?

CONTENTS

• What are the fire safety regulations for rental properties?
• How to prevent fires in your property
• What to do if a fire occurs in your rental property
• Who is responsible for cleaning up fire damage in a rental property?
• Get in touch

If you are a landlord, keeping your tenants safe and protecting your property in the event of a fire is obviously very important. It's crucial you are aware of the different regulations you need to follow and how to execute them. The same goes for if you are renting: you should understand the fire safety regulations in place to ensure your property is up-to-code.

Should a fire break out in your property, we can help. We have fire restoration experts stationed across the UK who are available 24/7, 365 days a year to provide our fire damage cleaning services. In an emergency, they can be on site within several hours. 

Keep reading to learn more about fire safety in rented accommodation and your fire safety responsibilities. 

What are the fire safety regulations for rental properties?

In the UK, landlords must follow specific legal requirements under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This legislation demands that every rental property has an adequate means of escape in case of fire. 

Furniture and furnishings must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988/1989, 1993 and 2010. These set levels for fire resistance and include items such as beds, sofas, cushions, and even some types of carpets.

Since October 2015, it's been compulsory for smoke alarms to be installed on every floor used as living accommodation, too. Landlords should check them at the start of each tenancy.

Safety does not stop with smoke alarms; carbon monoxide alarms are also vital. They need to be placed in any room containing a solid fuel-burning appliance like coal fires or wood burners.

All appliances need regular checks especially gas boilers or heaters which require annual servicing by registered Gas Safe engineers. Don't forget to have electrical installations inspected every five years if your property is multi-occupancy.

Apart from installing alarms and checking furniture compliance, maintaining access to escape routes is essential for tenant safety. Landlords need to keep exits like hallways or doorways free from obstruction.

The importance of regular property assessments cannot be overstated, either. They are not just recommendations but legal requirements under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and apply mainly to shared houses or flats over commercial premises. Through these risk assessments, potential hazards can be identified and mitigated before they escalate into disasters.

In houses of multiple occupation, additional measures such as emergency lighting or fire fighting equipment may be needed based on size and layout complexity, as well.

You can find out more about a landlord's safety responsibilities here. 

How to prevent fires in your property

To safeguard your rental property from fire, it's not just about sticking to the rules but dealing with potential hazards. Educating your tenants on fire safety in a rented property is key to lower the chances of one breaking out. 

Furniture can block escape routes or fuel a fire if it catches alight. So keep sofas away from exits and at least a meter away from heaters. 

Encourage tenants to test their smoke alarms once a month, too, to ensure they will be immediately alerted in the event of a fire. 

Give your tenants plenty of advice on the risk of fires and how to prevent them breaking out, such as getting them to clean lint filters after every laundry load and ensure there is no clutter near cooktops to ensure grease fires don't happen.

Make sure there is a working extinguisher within easy reach, as well, but remind your tenants that they should only tackle small flames if safe to do so. Otherwise, they must exit swiftly.

What to do if a fire occurs in your rental property

First, you need to inform your insurance company of the situation immediately. Then, establish who was responsible for the fire, and who is responsible for clearing up and taking care of the contents. 

You must then restore the property to a safe, habitable state so your tenants can move back in. If you are a tenant, you can find out more about what to do when your property is fire-damaged in this blog. 

It is recommended you then bring in fire damage cleaning professionals as soon as possible to remove any soot and ash, dispose of waste, and get rid of lingering smoke odours. 

They will have access to the industry-grade equipment and techniques required for a thorough, safe clean. Should you attempt to tackle it yourself, you could leave behind hazardous substances, like soot, which is associated with a range of health problems. 

Who is responsible for cleaning up fire damage in a rental property?

Landlords are usually responsible for carrying out repairs after a fire. If you are a tenant and caused the fire in the property, you will need to pay for fire damage cleaning yourself or it will be deducted from your deposit. 

Landlords are not responsible for replacing or repairing your belongings that were damaged or destroyed in a fire. You can find our more about who is responsible for fire damage to a rental property in this blog. 

Get in touch

Our accredited team of experts can quickly restore your property as close as possible to how it was before the fire. We can take care of the entire aftermath of a fire for you.

To find out more about our fire restoration services, speak to our team on 0208 066 0360 or enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk. They will be happy to provide you with a free site survey and no-obligation quote for our services.