Keeping Your Holiday Let Compliant with New Fire Safety Regulations for England & Wales

If you own a holiday let, it’s essential to keep updated with the latest fire safety regulations to ensure your guests’ safety and meet legal standards. In 2023, England and Wales have updated their fire safety guidance specifically for small-paying guest accommodations. The guidance is limited to:

• single premises of ground floor, or ground and first floor, providing sleeping accommodation for a maximum of 10 persons, with no more than four bedrooms on the first floor, such as houses, cottages, and chalets
• individual flats (whether within a purpose-built block of flats or a house that has been converted into flats), other than unusually large flats (e.g. as often found in mansion blocks in London)

To help you get up to speed, here’s a straightforward summary of what you need to know based on the government document “Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire.”

1. Understanding Your Responsibilities as a holiday let owner.

The updated fire safety guidance covers all short-term lets that are not let as a principal residence – even if you rent out a room in your home only once. As an owner, you are legally responsible for assessing fire risks in your property and implementing appropriate safety measures.

The main purpose of the guidance is to protect your guests by ensuring you:

• Identify potential fire hazards.
• Have clear fire escape routes.
• Equip your property with necessary fire safety equipment.

2. Key Areas of Compliance

Here’s a breakdown of the core requirements from the guidance:

• Fire Risk Assessment: This is the foundation of fire safety compliance. The document emphasizes performing a fire risk assessment, which can be done by either yourself (if you feel confident in doing so) or a qualified professional. This assessment identifies hazards, potential risks, and the measures needed to mitigate them. For property owners with Sweetcombe, we can provide a fire risk assessment template or recommend a local fire risk assessor. For larger and more complex properties, it is unlikely that the average property owner will have sufficient experience to be able to thoroughly evaluate the level of risk.
• Escape Routes: Ensure your guests have clear and accessible escape routes. Doors and hallways should be unobstructed and easy to navigate, with a plan for safely evacuating guests in the event of a fire. Escape routes must have doors with a 30-minute fire protection capability, or an adaptation that offers this level of protection.
• Thumb turn locks: Are now required on exit doors, these can usually be fitted on most doors.
• Emergency Escape Lighting: This can be provided by plug in rechargeable nightlights & torches in hallways/staircases to aid guests if the mains power fail.
• Smoke Alarms and Detection Systems: You must have linked hard-wired smoke detectors in all bedrooms as well as hallways & living rooms. Smoke alarms should be checked regularly, with batteries or units replaced as needed. Larger properties may require a more sophisticated alarm & detection system.
• Fire Extinguishers and Equipment: While fire extinguishers are not legally required in every holiday let, water mist extinguishers are highly recommended, particularly in kitchens and near areas with heating equipment. If you do provide extinguishers, you must inform guests on their proper use or clearly label them for emergencies only. A fire blanket should be wall mounted in the kitchen between the oven and nearest exit.
• Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Properties with any gas appliances, solid fuel fires, or boilers should have carbon monoxide detectors installed. This is mandatory in spaces with these features and should also be checked regularly for functionality.
• Gas safety certification & EICRS: Gas Safety Certification & boiler services are due annually. EICRs (wiring and circuit board check) due every 5 years.
• Chimneys: Should be swept annually.

3. Guest Information and Fire Safety Procedures

Provide clear, written instructions on fire safety for guests. This could be a simple information sheet placed in the accommodation with guidance on:

• Property fire safety rules
• Instructions on using fire extinguishers (if applicable).
• A fire action notice with the property address and contact information
• The property’s emergency evacuation plan, including designated escape routes.

This information helps guests know what to do if a fire does break out, reducing panic and ensuring a safe evacuation.

4. Regular Maintenance and Record-Keeping

The guidance recommends keeping a log of all safety checks, equipment servicing, and maintenance. Regularly test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and service fire extinguishers according to manufacturer instructions. This record will be invaluable not only for legal compliance but also as a point of reference for your own management.

5. Additional Resources

For further information, you can access the full guidance document, Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire, on the government’s website. It’s a thorough resource that outlines all necessary steps and legal responsibilities in detail.

For larger or more complex accommodation, including properties of more than two storeys, more than 4 bedrooms, sleeping more than 10 persons, with open plan ground floors, or with a bedroom accessed through another room, you need to base your fire precautions, and fire risk assessment, on the existing guidance in “Fire Safety Risk Assessment: Sleeping Accommodation” which you should already be following. However this document dates from 2006 and an update is pending. It is recommended due to the complexity of this document that a professional fire risk assessor is used.

By following these fire safety practices, you’ll not only keep your holiday let compliant with current regulations but also give your guests the reassurance they need to enjoy a safe and memorable stay.