Flat fire safety

The Fire Safety Department no longer has a dedicated Flats Team. However Officers from the General Fire Safety team are covering these roles. We therefore regret that there may be a delay to answer any enquires made, we will make every effort to minimise any such delay. The duty to comply with the Fire Precautions (Houses in Multiple Occupation and Flats Regulations) 2016 sits with the Owner/ Occupier of the building. We have produced guidance which is available on this page to assist you in complying.

House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)

A HMO is a House in Multiple Occupation. In such properties people have a room to sleep in and share facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms. DEFA have also brought in their own HMO Regulations, under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011. The new Fire Regulations (The Fire Precautions (Houses in Multiple Occupation and Flats Regulations) 2016)  have been written to work alongside DEFA`s Legislation.

The Flats Systems Testing Policy, downloadable from this page, details the requirements that must be met in terms of testing and inspecting fire alarms, emergency lighting, sprinkler systems, portable fire extinguishing equipment and the recording of all tests and inspections in a log book, which can also be downloaded from this page.