HMO Fire Regulations: A Complete Guide

There is a specific set of fire regulations that are to be abided by or followed to keep the establishment safe. HMO fire regulations are essential safety measures that are specifically designed to protect the students occupying those HMOs in the UK and avoid any damage. Following these HMO regulations minimises the risk of fire incidents and ensures that all the students residing in the HMO are safe and can escape safely if there is an emergency. 

What are Houses in Multiple Occupations (HMOs)?

HMOs are Houses of Multiple Occupations, a house that is occupied by more than one household. HMO properties are specifically designed for multiple unrelated households, including students, to stay together. In HMOs, occupants are required to share some of the amenities, such as bathrooms, washrooms, and kitchens. Each student gets a separate tenancy agreement and has to share some of the common facilities provided by the HMO housing. These are actually quite affordable and pocket-friendly, especially for students living in a new country for their higher education. While a huge population of individuals, including students, occupy these kinds of HMO properties, it is extremely essential for the property to adhere to the safety regulations, especially the HMO fire safety regulations. 

Importance of HMO Fire Regulations

These HMO Properties are built by subdividing larger properties into various smaller and compact units for short-term tenancies. This can be catastrophic if the property owner or manager doesn’t handle the HMO fire regulations. There is a high possibility that many areas are overlooked while rebuilding the facility, which decreases the likelihood of the students or other individuals occupying this HMO housing to get out safely. According to surveys, the statistics of deaths and injuries caused within such properties because of the lack of proper HMO fire regulations is higher than in single occupancies or family homes. The primary agenda of ensuring a well-established HMO fire regulation is to ensure that there is a systematic warning before the whole HMO property is damaged and provides the occupants with the opportunity to leave or escape the facility in time. 

Layout & Technical Provisions

The builders have to abide by a few layout and technical provisions or specifications while building the HMO properties. The HMOs should be designed and built in a way that the fire and smoke spread out is limited so one part of the building catching fire doesn’t impact the other section with the same intensity. Some of the HMO fire regulations to consider while constructing HMO housing are as follows:

Smoke Detectors & Alarms

‍Placing fire detectors and alarms in every risk room and ensuring the space for circulation is the most significant step. This will detect fire at the earliest opportunity and alert all the occupants. 

Emergency Lighting

‍Emergency lighting throughout the escape route is another best practice as it helps the occupants escape the building on fire easily, even when the place is all blacked out due to an electricity cut.

Obstruction

Free Stairwells & Escape Routes: Keep the escape routes clear without any significant objects or things being kept in a way that may prevent or stop occupants from leaving the property smoothly. 

Appropriate Safety Signs

‍Appropriate fire-safety signs should be put on all the visible displays of the HMO property. These signs should indicate the escape routes, fire extinguisher locations, and assembly points.

Firefighting Equipment

‍One of the most important points in HMO Fire Regulations should be that the property must be well-equipped with all the required firefighting equipment, such as fire extinguishers and fire blankets. 

Regular Assessments

‍The property managers should conduct regular fire risk assessments and inspections to negate any potential hazards to the HMO property. 

Electrical Safety

‍One of the major causes of fire is electrical appliances and wrongly installed electrical wires. The property owner/ manager should get the electric wiring checked by a qualified electrician.

Awareness Among Tenants

‍The occupants must be well-aware and educated about the HMO fire regulations. Telling them about the safety regulations is extremely crucial. Landlords should provide clear instructions on the evacuation process; fire exits, and the usage of fire extinguishers as well as other equipment. 

HMO Fire Regulation: Legal Aspect

The Housing Act 2004 applies to all housing and properties, including the House of Multiple Occupations (HMOs). This law is typically enforced by the Local Housing Authority or the Local Council Housing Department. An extremely significant point to note here is that additional fire safety legislation is also applicable to HMOs. The modified and even new HMOs fall under the Building Regulations in the UK. The HMO fire regulation falls under the fire safety regulation for new, extended, and altered buildings. Speaking for the UK, fire safety in HMOs in the UK is governed by the Regulatory Form (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO). This order specifically abstracts the legal requirements for the HMO fire regulations that have to be followed specifically for the UK. In the recent HMO fire regulation update for the UK, the Fire Safety Regulations 2022 was enacted in the January of 2022. This regulation states that the landlords who own the HMO property are responsible for providing the occupants with additional fire safety details. This is specifically for properties that are 

Maintenance & Management 

After the implementation of all the aforementioned HMO fire regulations, it is also important to efficiently manage and maintain things to keep the system operational. One thing to note is that the safety measures are only useful if they work properly at the time of an emergency. While individual homes or single households are self-managing, HMO fire regulations are a bit different as it requires constant attention for fire safety measures because of multiple occupancies. The responsible person here is either the landlord of the HMO or the manager (individual or group) managing the HMO property. The individual is expected to do day-to-day checks of the fire safety tools and keep a routine maintenance check in line with the legal obligations that involve fire door safety and clear instructions on evacuation and escape routes.