Preparing to Let Your Property: Fire Safety

When you’re gearing up to prepare to let your investment property, there are a wide range of issues to consider. So far we’ve looked at the important of getting an energy performance certificate sorted out and of making sure that all the electrics are safe, but now are thoughts are turning towards fire safety.

Landlords letting out properties have certain obligations towards their tenants, especially in the case of houses with multiple occupation (HMO) where there are several tenants living under the same roof (Landlords with HMO properties are subject to additional fire safety requirements as part of their licensing requirements and need to follow the guidance carefully). Under the 2004 Housing Act, landlords in England and Wales need to ensure that all properties, whether flats or houses, have an adequate means of escape, especially from bedrooms in upper storeys, in case a fire occurs.

Landlords also need to ensure that any furniture, soft furnishings or fixtures that they supply with the property, such as beds, sofas or curtains, meet basic fire safety standards and don’t pose a risk for tenants. If you’re re-letting a property to new tenants, particularly if it’s been previously let out for a long time, then it’s a good idea to re-check all your furniture and furnishings for wear, tear and damage and ensure they meet the current fire safety standards.

If your property was built after 1992, then it has to have a mains operated smoke alarm fitted on each level, according to building regulations. This isn’t the case for older properties, but it is advisable to provide battery operated alarms and you may want to consider fire doors and basic equipment to help put out fires, such as a fire extinguisher or fire blanket, too. These would be ideally located in the kitchen.

If you do have a smoke alarm in a property, then make sure tenants are aware of its location and that you remember to check and replace the battery on a regular basis, as it will be no use in an emergency if the battery is dead. Likewise, when you check the smoke alarm, make a point of checking any fire extinguishers of fire blankets as well, to ensure they are still in tip top condition and ready to be used if an emergency fire situation occurs.

If  fire safety issues are a concern to you, then local building inspectors and fire prevention officers should be able to provide you with help and advice. Before you let a property for the first time, and even between lets, you may want to consider having a fire risk assessment carried out, to ensure all areas are sufficiently covered and that fire safety prevention is up-to-date.