UK only properties - New Fire Regulations in Holiday Lets- Discuss

[Alexandra199]

Dear UK Hosts

Have you all seen the new legislation that has come in to force from 1st October 2023. I somewhat naively thought it would be reasonable and achievable actions that needed to tale place in order to comply. This a not the case at all. At this moment I am going to have to install fixed mains wired smoke and fire alarms in my cottage (battery ones not allowed) and potentially fit fire doors throughout the exit routes from bedrooms to front doors. I also need to change the locks on my front door to thumb turn locks that do not require keys. I also need to carry out weekly checks on fire alarm systems and these checks must be recorded. This is just the tip of the iceberg really but it likely to be thousands of pounds worth of work and even then it may be that my cottage is non compliant and I can no longer run it as my business. 

I cannot possibly be the only holiday let owner that is gobsmacked with this legislation and the fact that it has been bought in so quietly? By the way, failure to comply can result in up to 2 years in prison!! Yes read that again!

Personally, I feel this is an underhand way of getting rid of holiday lets and shared accommodation (so it includes the original spare room economy too). What are you all doing about it?

[Ema-J1]

Hi @Liz6232  can I ask did you find appropriate plug in lighting? If so please let me know where you got it 😊

[Terence105]

@Mike-And-Jane0 ,

If you want a second opinion of what is required, drop me a reply.

[John2406]

@Alexandra199 @Mike-And-Jane0  We originally opened as a Self Catering Accommodation provider in 2012, and were advised even as far as back then, that we had to have a "Fire Risk Assessment" (as well as an "Access Statement") so have been writing up our own (using Fire Service online forms) each and every year.

Maybe we were more fortunate than many others, as in 2001-02 we had substantial refurbishment undertaken to our property, and in order for the property to comply with all sorts of Regulations etc, our Architect made certain - in conjunction with our Local Authority's Building Control Department - that specific safety measures were put in place, so we already had/have, Fire Exits, wired-in - and linked - Smoke alarms (with battery backup), whilst we also ensured that we complied with Visit Wales requirements for Star Rating Assessments, inasmuch as that we also put in place both a Fire Extinguisher, and a Fire Blanket (at one stage both were missing from the wording of the first 2023 "Fire Risk Assessment" we read, it having suggested that it would be dangerous for Guests to use either a Fire Extinguisher, and/or a Fire Blanket, as they wouldn't have been used to using them (Well, such items are in my property, and we're putting in extras on each floor, for the very simple fact that if Guests' just depart out of the Exits without taking responsibility for something more likely to have been caused by themselves, our place would most likely burn to the ground/be severely damaged before a Fire Engine reached our property, whereas it may well have been that any fire might not have been that serious, so probably would have been extinguished using the equipment we provide to be used!)

When reading the  2023 version of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and the The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (placed on the statute book on 18 May 2022, and came into force on 23 January 2023, and made obligatory from 1st  October 2023) it will be noted that there is wording within  the UK Government's Home Office's "Guidance. Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: [relating to] fire door guidance. Updated 5 October 2023" 

So let's look at those Fire Doors - which we don't have.  According to Building Control, these are only required within properties that have more than two storeys to them, although apparently they also apply to single storey properties (in both instances where the attic area has been converted into living/sleeping accommodation).

Rather than my pasting into this reply all those comments made in many, many available .pdf and .doc files that are readily readable and downloadable on the UK Government's website(s), I had been hoping that Airbnb would allow me - in view of the importance of everyone in the UK knowing what the various elements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and the The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022  exactly state (as opposed to what others' might be saying about what one has to do, and/or what might happen if those responsible don't comply with the Regulations, etc) - to include the link - to;-  (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-safety-legislation-guidance-for-those-with-legal-duti...

which primarily relates to England as to  - "Documents on fire safety law and guidance for those who have a legal duty for fire safety in a relevant building to help them meet those duties",  

(I will provide the  necessary as regards Wales, in the next section of my reply)

[Terence105]

@John2406 

Building regulations 2010 Approved Document B Vol II, or BS9999 and BS9991 set out the requirements in terms of residential designed in fire safety. You are correct, that if you wish to build a three storey house, Building Regs say they must have self closing devices and provide protection from fire spread.

In terms of your holiday let, this isn't the same. The requirements are for the property to be compliant with the building codes in force at the time of construction, unless you refurbish significantly.

[John2406]

@Alexandra199 @Mike-And-Jane0  Wales own documentation is virtually identical to England's in its wording, although in some ways parts of its layout might be more understandable? so for the link to their page, re "Fire safety responsibilities under Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022: guidance", it is;-

(www.gov.wales/fire-safety-responsibilities-under-section-156-building-safety-act-2022-guidance-html)

Both England's and Wales' sites' include their own versions of  "Documents on fire safety law and guidance for those who have a legal duty for fire safety in a relevant building to help them meet those duties",  the relevant sections, I would suggest, for the majority of Self Catering Accommodation Hosts (but NOT those who Host within a block of flats, as the Regulations, etc are different for them) - the following are probably the most relevant (although for the delegated "Relevant Person of Responsibility" I would respectfully suggest that each and every part of the said Regulations are checked to make certain nothing is "hidden" in other topics (e.g. You might think that the section relating to Guests with Disabilities applies to you, but "Disabilities" can also include those with non-visible ones (e.g. hearing loss, eyesight difficulties, rheumatoid arthritis, and many other health issues that might not allow Guests to move quickly or easily, hear alarms, see where to go, etc), so please take those into consideration as well.

On the England website, is a list (on the link provided in my previous reply) to what I would say are the most important elements to read, and then with which to comply, but as I also said, it would be best to read all, if only for your own peace of mind that you have covered all avenues.

The list - for England - includes (all Published 21 December 2022, and Last updated 4th October 2023) ;-

Contents
Legislative guidance (YES)
Fire risk assessment checklist (YES)
Guidance for evacuating disabled persons (YES)
Guidance for fire safety in small premises (YES)
Guidance for residential buildings under the Fire Safety Order (???)
Guidance for non-domestic premises (YES)
Guidance for livestock premises (???)
Guidance for workplaces where people sleep (YES)
Guidance for places of assembly (YES)

Fire safety law (YES)

Guidance (YES)

Legislative guidance

Check your fire safety responsibilities under Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 (YES)

Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: fire doors (maybe?)

Fire Safety Act - addendum (???)

Check your fire safety responsibilities under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (YES)

Fire Safety Order: enforcement and sanctions for non-compliance (YES)

Fire risk assessment checklist
Fire safety risk assessment: 5-step checklist (YES)

Guidance for evacuating disabled persons
Fire safety risk assessment: means of escape for disabled people (YES)

Guidance for fire safety in small premises
Making your small block of flats safe from fire (???)

Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire (YES)

Making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire (YES)

Guidance for residential buildings under the Fire Safety Order
Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats (???)

Guidance for non-domestic premises
Fire safety risk assessment: offices and shops (???)

Fire safety risk assessment: open-air events and venues (???)

Fire safety risk assessment: transport premises and facilities (???)

Fire safety risk assessment: factories and warehouses (???)

Fire safety risk assessment: theatres, cinemas and similar premises (???)

Fire safety risk assessment: educational premises (???)

Guidance for livestock premises
Fire safety risk assessment: animal premises and stables (???)

Guidance for workplaces where people sleep
Fire safety risk assessment: residential care premises (???)

Fire safety risk assessment: sleeping accommodation (YES)

Fire safety risk assessment: healthcare premises (???)

Guidance for places of assembly
Fire safety risk assessment: large places of assembly (maybe?)

Fire safety risk assessment: small and medium places of assembly (YES)

As to the comments about both Fire Doors and Smoke/Fire Alarms,  hopefully the above will have better clarification as to exactly where they have to be installed, whilst as to the said Alarms, @Mike-And-Jane0  might I respectfully ask you to check whether it's just a case of having individually installed wired-in alarms/detectors in each room or on every floor level, or whether they have to be (as I've had to have installed in  another property which is tenanted), linked-in-to-each-other alarms?

Finally, each County's or Area's Fire Department "should" have details of everything relating to what IS required, as opposed to those websites that suggest other items, so please do take care, and take all advice from only Official sites and documentation

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@John2406 Thanks for the comprehensive answers. All I did was look at the guidance that gives smoke alarm positions and that they should be linked. I have no idea if this is a nice to have or a legal requirement!

[Carole695]

Hi Alexandra199

Do you (or anyone else on this site) know if the new Regs apply to those of us who have a spare room in their home and rent that room out occasionally on Airbnb?

I don't run my home as a business, it is my main residence and I do Airbnb purely on a spare room basis.

If this new regulation does apply to every Airbnb host then Airbnb are going to lose a heck of a lot of hosts as I certainly don't want to spoil my home with unsightly additional smoke alarms in every room, I have no way of lighting my stairs apart from the main overhead light and some of the other requirements are frankly ludicrous for those in my situation.

Does any one have a definitive answer please as this could be the make or break for many of the hosts I know who do the same as I do?

Many thanks

Carole

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Carole695 As answered elsewhere it does apply to you. What is less clear is whether you can get away with normal smoke alarms and then just add one in the guest's bedroom radio linked to the others.

For exit lighting we have found a plug in rechargeable torch that lights up if the power goes off. We have put these in bedrooms and hallways/landings.

[Liz6232]

Which brand of plug in rechargeable torch have you used?

[Liz6232]

We need to fit emergency plug in torches in each bedroom. Has anyone found a brand that does what is required? The ones on Amazon are not CE-marked as far as I can see and are therefore 'illegal' in the UK

[Vicki128]

Hi

Do you or anyone else know if the 2023 law includes caravans and if so do they have to the wired/wirless heat alarms and smoke alarms fitted.

Vicki

[Helen3]

Any short term rental @Vicki128 

Your fire assessments will tell you what changes you need to make @Vicki128 

[Terence105]

@Vicki123 

No, not caravans.

[Terence105]

Hi Alexandra199,

I've seen your post and the replies.

Can I ask, who told you that you need a hard wired fire alarm system etc?

I'm Terry and I run a health and safety/fire safety business in Northamptonshire. Since the changes to the Fire Safety Order in October 2023, there is a need for holiday lets to complete a fire risk assessment. However, the lengths to which you have been told you need to go are not reasonably practicable. If a competent fire risk assessor were to carry out the assessment, what should happen is to reduce the fire risk to as low as reasonably practicable. i.e. if putting a hard wired fire alarm in would reduce the risk to life significantly, then it might be seen as reasonable and if it could be done in the property, it may be seen as doable (practicable).

**[Personal information removed due to safety reasons - Community Center Guidelines]

[Helen3]

It's against the terms of this community to provide personal  contact information. That's why the admins keep removing the contact information you are sharing of your business @Terence105