House in multiple occupation

There is a signifcant risk of fire in houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). We therefore require owners to provide adequate means of escape from fire and adequate fire precautions, and we have the power to enforce this.

All occupants of a HMO should be able to leave the premises safely in the event of a fire. Measures must be put in place to prevent the spread of fire and smoke to living areas or escape routes before the occupants have been able to exit the building. There must also be adequate warning systems which help to ensure occupants receive sufficient warning of a fire to make their escape before escape routes become impassable.

The factors which go into determining the appropriate fire safety measures are:

• the protection from fire available to individual living areas and the escape routes from them, such as the fire resistance of doors and walls forming the escape route and the floors and ceilings of rooms
• the distance of travel involved in escaping from each living area to a final exit from the premises
• the steepness of stairways and width of corridors
• the need for escape lighting and direction signs
• the need for alarm systems and fire fighting equipment

The fire safety measures required for a property to meet the standards are designed for that individual property. In summary however, there are three key principles involved:

• Alert everybody to the fact that there is a fire in the property; this is done by an automatic fire detection sysytem
• Contain the fire within the room where it has started long enough for occupiers to get out; this is achieved by having the doors and walls which resist fire for a minimum time
• Evacuate that is get out, stay out and call the fire service. Achieved by containing the fire and alerting everybody that it is there