Flat fire safety

In 2022 a team of three officers was established to proactively carry out inspections of flats and Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO's) across the island. A large number of flats do not meet the regulatory standard and fail their initial inspection for a range of reasons, most of which are easily rectifiable. The onus for compliance with the Fire Precautions (Houses in Multiple Occupation and Flats) Regulations 2016 sits with the owner / occupier or an agent acting on their behalf. The primary focus of the Flats Team is to assist owners/occupiers and agents in achieving and maintaining compliance and to answer any questions they may have. We have produced a guidance document which is available for online viewing and download from this page to help you ensure your flat complies with the regulations.

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.