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Professional fire risk assessments for HMO landlords across the South of England - designed to satisfy licensing requirements and genuinely protect tenants.
Houses in Multiple Occupation are one of the most heavily regulated property types in the UK. They're also one of the highest-risk for fire - multiple unrelated occupants, shared kitchens, varied lifestyles, and often older building stock. That's why a thorough, up-to-date fire risk assessment is essential for any HMO landlord.
Purbeck Safety Ltd provides fire risk assessments specifically for HMOs across the South of England. The assessments are practical, proportionate, and written to satisfy the licensing officers who will review them - without over-engineering or unnecessary cost recommendations.
Why HMOs need a specialist fire risk assessment
A fire risk assessment for an HMO is not the same as one for a single-family home or a standard block of flats. The risks are different, the legal framework is different, and the assessment has to reflect that.
Key differences include:
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Multiple unrelated occupants who may be asleep when a fire starts
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Shared cooking facilities - by far the most common ignition source in HMOs
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Bedroom doors that may need to act as fire doors to protect each tenant
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Means of escape that often pass through the kitchen or other higher-risk areas
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A higher standard expected for fire detection - typically a full LD2 or LD1 system
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Compartmentation between bedrooms, kitchens and escape routes
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A licensing process that may require the FRA to be submitted as evidence
A generic health and safety assesment or FRA written for a small office or a single-family home will miss most of these issues. The assessment needs to be done by someone who understands HMOs.
HMO licensing and fire risk assessments
Most local authorities require a current fire risk assessment as part of their HMO licensing process - both for the initial application and for renewals. Some councils also carry out their own inspection and will compare what they find to what the FRA says.
A fire risk assessment that has been carried out properly, by a competent assessor, will typically:
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Cover everything the licensing officer expects to see
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Use language and structure that licensing officers recognise
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Provide clear evidence of compartmentation, detection, and means of escape
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Set out remedial actions in a prioritised, realistic timescale
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Include the photographs and documentation needed to support the assessment
Purbeck Safety's reports are written with that audience in mind. The aim is to get the licence approved without back-and-forth, while making sure the property is genuinely safe.
What an HMO fire risk assessment covers
A typical HMO fire risk assessment will examine:
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The structure and layout of the property, including the number of storeys
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The escape routes from each habitable room
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Fire detection - type, coverage, and grade of the system
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Emergency lighting where applicable
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Fire doors to bedrooms, kitchens and escape routes
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Compartmentation between rooms and floors
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Cooking arrangements and kitchen safety
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Electrical safety and PAT testing
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Heating systems and any portable heaters
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Fire-fighting equipment and signage
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Tenant information and any fire safety documentation in place
The output is a written report that records each finding, identifies any shortfalls, and lists prioritised actions. Where remedial works are required, they're explained in plain English so the landlord knows exactly what needs to be done.
How Our Fire Risk Assessment Process Works
We aim to keep the process simple and efficient for property managers and landlords.
The typical process for a Fire Risk Assessment for HMO's has four key steps.
The result is a clear document that property managers and landlords can rely on for compliance and ongoing safety management.
Purbeck Safety's focus is on producing assessments that protect tenants and help landlords run their properties properly - not on box-ticking or on inflating the scope of remedial works.
01
Initial Enquiry
Get in touch with details of the property - number of bedrooms, layout, location, and whether you're applying for or renewing a licence.
02
Quote and Scheduling
A clear, fixed quote is provided based on the size and layout of the HMO.
03
Site Visit and Assessment
One of our qualified assessors visits the property to conduct the assessment. This involves inspecting communal areas, reviewing safety measures, and identifying potential hazards.
04
Fire Risk Assessment Report
A clear, written fire risk assessment is delivered, normally within a week. The report is structured to support a licensing application.
HMOs are a regulated, paperwork-heavy property type, and it's easy for landlords to feel buried in compliance. The job of a good fire risk assessment is to cut through that - to identify what genuinely needs doing and what doesn't, and to set out the actions in a way that's achievable.
That means:
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Prioritised recommendations rather than a flat list of every possible improvement
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Realistic timescales for remedial works
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Plain English explanations rather than fire safety jargon
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Practical advice that respects the budget realities of running a rental property
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Reports that satisfy the licensing officer without inviting unnecessary follow-up
Purbeck Safety's focus is on producing assessments that protect tenants and help landlords run their properties properly - not on box-ticking or on inflating the scope of remedial works.
Our assessors are Associate of the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM) and also hold IOSH Technical Membership, reflecting professional commitment to fire, Health & safety and risk management.
If you're an HMO landlord in the South of England and need a fire risk assessment - for an initial licence application, a renewal, or simply to discharge your duty as the responsible person - get in touch.