Fire Safety And Risk Assessment Specialists
Shared housing & House in multiple occupation (HMO)
Specialist fire risk assessment service.
We are nationally accredited fire risk assessment specialists, providing landlords and owners with fast turnarounds, ongoing support, and high-standard reporting and action plans.
Do I need a fire risk assessment for my HMO property?
Yes, a fire risk assessment should be conducted and recorded to meet the Housing Act 2004 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO).
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) this order applies to the:
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common parts of HMOs (but not shared houses).
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common parts of buildings containing flats and maisonettes.
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common parts of sheltered accommodation.
Your fire risk assessment will take into account details such as:
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Type 1 (non-destructive) risk assessment.
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The line between your responsibilities and those of your tenants.
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Current fire hazards and how to eliminate or reduce them.
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Legal requirements for fire detection and warning, and additional measures that are reasonably practicable.
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Firefighting equipment suitable for your premises.
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Service schedules for fire safety provisions.
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Periods and triggers for review of the fire risk assessment and control measures.
General fire precautions include, where necessary:
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measures to reduce the risk of fire occurring.
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measures to reduce the spread of any fire through the premises.
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measures in relation to the means of escape.
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measures to ensure the means of escape can be safely used at all times.
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firefighting measures.
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means of fire detection and warning.
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action to be taken in the event of a fire.
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mitigating the effects of fire.
The definition of house in multiple occupation (HMO)
The definition of house in multiple occupation (HMO) is contained in section 254 of the Housing Act 2004. The definition is complex and for detailed understanding then the Act itself should be studied. For general purposes the definition can be summarised as follows.
A building is an HMO if it:
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Is occupied by more than one household and where more than one household shares (or lacks) an amenity such as a bathroom, toilet or cooking facilities.
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Is occupied by more than one household and is a converted building, but not entirely self-contained flats (whether or not some amenities are shared or lacking).
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Is converted self-contained flats but does not meet as a minimum standard the requirements of the 1991 Building Regulations, and more than one third of the flats are privately rented; or
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An HMO declaration has been made by the Local Housing Authority (LHA) under section 255 of the Housing Act 2004.
The Fire risk assessment process
1.Quotation
2. Site Visit
3.Report Created
4.Handover
This short guide is intended to
assist those with duties under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations to comply with Regulation 10, which makes requirements about fire doors in all buildings that contain two or more domestic premises and that contain common parts, through which residents would need to evacuate in a fire.
This short guide is intended to assist ‘persons’ with duties under fire safety legislation in England
to comply with the legislation.
Its purpose is to explain the duties in simple, non-legal language.
As such, it is not a guide to completing a fire risk assessment
Competent Fire Risk Assessors Register (CFRAR)
The Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council (FRACC) has published a set of criteria against which the competency of those undertaking fire risk assessments can be judged. Our team are all accredited via the Institute of Fire Safety Managers. Listed within the Competent Fire Risk Assessors Register (CFRAR)
