Fire Risk Assessment for HMO: UK Assessor Guide

A fire risk assessment for HMO properties is one of the more demanding jobs in the assessor's workbook. Houses in Multiple Occupation bring together unrelated households under one roof, often with shared kitchens, limited escape routes, and inconsistent management standards. The legal framework is stricter than for single-occupancy dwellings, and councils expect thorough documentation. This guide covers the legislation you need to know, the hazards you are most likely to encounter, and a practical checklist for structuring your assessment.

Why HMOs Carry Higher Fire Risk

The core problem is straightforward: more people, fewer means of escape, and less control over individual behaviour. Residents may not know each other, may not respond to a communal alarm, and may not understand escape routes. Shared kitchens are a leading ignition source. Bedsits with cooking facilities inside the letting room raise the risk further because sleeping and cooking happen in the same space with no compartmentation.

Older converted houses compound this with timber floors, inadequate fire stopping between rooms, and escape routes that pass through risk areas. As an assessor, assume nothing about the building fabric until you have inspected it.

The Legal Framework

Three overlapping pieces of legislation govern fire safety in HMOs. You need to understand where each applies.

Housing Act 2004 introduced mandatory licensing for certain HMOs. A property requires a licence if it is occupied by five or more people forming two or more separate households across three or more storeys. Some local authorities operate additional licensing schemes that capture smaller HMOs. Licence conditions almost always include a requirement for a current fire risk assessment.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to the common parts of an HMO: hallways, stairs, landings, shared kitchens, and shared living rooms. The responsible person (usually the landlord or managing agent) must carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment of these areas and act on the findings.

The Fire Safety Act 2021 extended the Fire Safety Order's scope to include the structure of the building, external walls (including cladding and balconies), and flat entrance doors. Your assessment should not stop at common areas -- consider entrance doors to letting rooms and the external envelope, particularly on mid-rise and high-rise conversions.

Where both the Housing Act and Fire Safety Order apply, both the local housing authority and fire and rescue service have enforcement powers. Your assessment needs to satisfy both.

Common HMO Fire Hazards

Certain hazards appear in HMO assessments repeatedly. Knowing what to look for saves time on site.

Shared cooking facilities. Look for grease buildup, appliances left unattended, combustibles stored near hobs, and missing fire blankets. Kitchens serving multiple households see heavy use and need close attention.

Blocked escape routes. Corridors and stairways frequently double as storage. Bicycles in hallways, boxes on landings, and furniture narrowing the escape width are common findings. Measure the clear width and note obstructions.

Fire doors in poor condition. Check for self-closers removed or wedged open, damaged intumescent strips, gaps exceeding 3mm, and missing cold smoke seals. Letting room doors should be FD30S as a minimum in most HMO configurations.

Locked exits. Some landlords fit key-operated locks to final exit doors. If a key is needed to escape in a fire, this is a significant finding. Thumb-turn locks or break-glass units are the standard remediation.

Inadequate fire detection. The single most common deficiency. Many HMOs still rely on standalone smoke alarms when an interlinked system is required.

Missing fire safety information. Check whether fire action notices are displayed and whether the landlord provides escape route information to new tenants.

Fire Detection Requirements

Detection standards differ based on the HMO category, and getting this right is critical.

For most licensable HMOs, councils expect an LD2 system as a minimum. LD2 covers escape routes, rooms opening onto escape routes, and high-risk areas such as kitchens. This is the baseline for a standard shared house.

For higher-risk HMOs, particularly bedsit-type properties where occupants cook and sleep in the same room, an LD1 system is usually required. LD1 covers all rooms including bedrooms and storage areas. If a fire starts in a bedsit, early warning inside that space is the only protection.

Your assessment should specify which detection category is appropriate, flag any shortfall, and reference BS 5839-6. Record the current system grade and category as part of your findings.

HMO Assessment Checklist

When carrying out a fire risk assessment on an HMO, these are the items that go beyond a standard domestic or commercial assessment. Structure your report per PAS 79:2020 and ensure each of the following is addressed:

• Licensing status. Confirm whether the HMO is licensable and, if so, whether a current licence is in place. Note any licence conditions relating to fire safety.
• Occupancy and layout. Record the number of occupants, the number of households, the number of storeys, and the configuration (shared house, bedsit, or mixed).
• Escape routes. Assess travel distances, dead-end conditions, corridor widths, stairway protection, and final exits. Check that inner rooms have alternative escape or adequate detection.
• Fire doors. Inspect all fire doors on escape routes and to letting rooms. Record fire rating, seal condition, closer function, and gap dimensions.
• Detection and alarm. Identify the current system type, grade, and category. Compare against the required standard (LD1 or LD2) for the property type. Check test records.
• Emergency lighting. Confirm whether emergency lighting is installed on escape routes and, if so, whether it is tested and maintained. Many HMOs with internal corridors will need it.
• Firefighting equipment. Note the provision and condition of fire extinguishers and fire blankets in shared kitchens.
• Compartmentation. Inspect fire stopping between letting rooms and above ceilings. Pay particular attention to service penetrations, loft spaces, and voids in converted buildings.
• External walls and structure. Following the Fire Safety Act 2021, note the external wall construction and any cladding. Record the condition of flat entrance doors.
• Management and maintenance. Review housekeeping in common parts, testing records for alarms and emergency lighting, and arrangements for informing residents.
• Fire safety information. Check that fire action notices are posted, escape routes are signed, and landlords have a process for briefing new occupants.

Review Frequency and Reporting

Most licensing conditions and council enforcement policies expect HMO fire risk assessments to be reviewed annually, or sooner if there is a material change to the building, its use, or its occupancy. Include a recommended review date in your report and list trigger events that would require earlier reassessment: changes in occupancy numbers, building works, or a fire incident.

Record your findings with enough detail that another competent assessor could understand your reasoning. Photograph deficiencies. Grade findings by risk level and set clear timescales for remedial actions. If you are producing multiple HMO assessments, dedicated fire risk assessment software structured per PAS 79:2020 will save time and reduce omissions. Tools like AssessKit handle HMO-specific requirements including occupancy recording, detection category tracking, and action plan management.

Summary

HMO fire risk assessments sit at the intersection of housing law and fire safety law. The responsible person has duties under both, and your assessment demonstrates compliance. Focus on the areas where HMOs diverge from standard premises: escape from sleeping risk, detection standards, fire door integrity, and management of shared spaces. Get those right, and the rest follows a familiar structure.