Holiday Let Fire Safety Requirements UK

Apr 30

4 min read

If you rent out a holiday cottage, an Airbnb, an annexe or any similar property, you have a legal duty to keep guests safe from fire. This checklist sets out the practical fire safety basics that every holiday let should have in place.

This isn't a substitute for a professional fire risk assessment - that's a separate legal requirement, and a checklist won't replace it. But it's a useful guide for owners who want to understand the standard they should be working to.

1. Smoke alarms

At a minimum, fit interlinked smoke alarms on every storey of the property. "Interlinked" means that when one goes off, all of them go off - which is essential for waking sleeping guests on different floors.

Mains-powered alarms with battery backup are the gold standard. They should be tested regularly, with the test results recorded somewhere - even a simple notebook or spreadsheet is enough.

2. Heat alarms in the kitchen

Smoke alarms in kitchens cause too many false alarms from cooking. A heat alarm - interlinked with the smoke alarms elsewhere in the property - is the right choice for the kitchen. It'll trigger when there's an actual fire, not when toast burns.

3. Carbon monoxide detectors

Required wherever there's a fuel-burning appliance - gas hobs, gas boilers, wood burners, open fires, oil heating, LPG. A CO detector is cheap and saves lives. Fit one in any room with such an appliance, and follow the manufacturer's placement instructions.

4. Fire blanket

A fire blanket in the kitchen is one of the most useful pieces of fire safety equipment a holiday let can have. Most fires in self-catering accommodation start in the kitchen, and a fire blanket deals with the most common scenarios - pan fires and small kitchen fires - without needing any specialist knowledge.

5. Fire extinguisher

A small, suitable fire extinguisher - typically a foam or water-mist type - placed somewhere accessible. Make sure it's serviced annually, and that the service record is kept on file.

6. Clear means of escape

Every part of the property needs a way out in the event of a fire. That means:

Hallways and stairs free of obstructions
Internal doors that close properly and aren't held open by furniture
External doors that can be unlocked from inside without a key (no double-cylinder deadlocks on escape doors)
Windows that open wide enough for escape, especially on upper floors

Walk through the property as if you've just woken up to a smoke alarm. Could you get out quickly, in the dark, without thinking? If not, something needs to change.

7. Fire-resistant doors where they matter

In larger or more complex properties - particularly those over two storeys - internal doors may need to be fire doors to protect escape routes. A fire risk assessment will identify where this applies. In a small bungalow or single-floor flat, this is usually less of an issue.

8. Fire safety information for guests

Provide clear, simple information for guests as part of the welcome pack. This should include:

A brief description of what to do if a smoke alarm goes off
The location of the nearest external door from each part of the property
Where the fire blanket and extinguisher are kept
A note that the fire alarm system has been tested
The address and postcode of the property - for emergency calls
A simple instruction not to use candles or open flames

Keep it short. Guests will read a paragraph; they won't read three pages.

9. PAT testing of provided appliances

Any portable electrical appliance you provide for guests - kettle, toaster, hairdryer, lamps, the lot - should be PAT tested annually. It's a quick, cheap process that catches faulty equipment before it causes a fire.

10. Annual servicing of fuel-burning appliances

Gas appliances must be serviced annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Wood burners and open fires need annual chimney sweeping. Oil boilers need an annual service. Keep the certificates on file - your insurer will want to see them after any incident.

11. External fire hazards

Don't forget the outside of the property:

LPG storage - well away from the building, in a secure area
BBQs and fire pits - proper guidance for guests on safe use
Bins - kept away from the building wherever possible
Combustible storage near the property - minimised

12. A current written fire risk assessment

This is the legal one. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to carry out a fire risk assessment and to record it in writing. A checklist like this one helps you understand the basics, but it's not a substitute for the formal assessment carried out by a competent person.

What to do next

If you've worked through this checklist and there are gaps, fix the easy ones now - alarms, extinguishers, fire blankets and CO detectors are all inexpensive and quick to install. Then arrange a professional fire risk assessment so the rest is properly documented.

Purbeck Safety Ltd carries out fire risk assessments for holiday lets across the South of England. The reports are practical, written in plain English, and proportionate to the property. Get in touch for a quote.