As of October 1, 2023, amendments made to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 state that if you own an Airbnb in England and Wales, you need to have a written fire risk assessment which covers all aspects of fire risk within your property. If you don’t have this, you cannot legally accept any paying guests.
This stipulation is laid out in Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022, and failure to comply with this legislation can lead to serious punishments, as we’ll cover further down.
Essentially, Airbnbs are now required to meet the same fire safety standards as hotels. The clarifications under these new regulations represent a step change in how short stay holiday lets are run, and are a hot topic at present.
If you’ve only just found out about them, we understand it may feel like a lot to take in and you may not know where to begin.
But by the time you’ve finished reading our article, you’ll be up to speed with everything and have a clear plan of what to do next.
In this article
What are the fire safety regulations for Airbnbs?
- Fire risk assessment
- External Wall Systems
- Doors
- Alarms and smoke detectors
- Lighting
- Locks
- Furniture
- Hot water and heating systems
- Candles
- Fire safety equipment
What are the penalties for non-compliance with the regulations?
Where can I find out more about the regulations?
What does a fire risk assessment cover?
I need a written fire risk assessment for my Airbnb
What are the fire safety regulations for Airbnbs?
All of the below information applies to small bed and breakfast guest houses and self-catering apartments in England and Wales. For the Airbnb regulations in Scotland, click here.
There are various regulations that cover everything from risk assessments to your household appliances.
These regulations apply to ‘small paying guest accommodation’, which is defined as:
‘A single premises of ground floor, or ground and first floor, providing sleeping accommodation for a maximum of 10 persons, with no more than four bedrooms on the first floor…’
OR
‘Individual flats (whether within a purpose-built block of flats or a house that has been converted into flats), other than unusually large flats.’
For larger or more complex properties, the document Fire Safety Risk Assessment: Sleeping Accommodation still applies.
Some of the information we present to you is more recommendation than regulation, but let’s put it this way — if you follow the below guidance, you can’t go wrong.
And whilst some advice may be self-explanatory to you, we never assume knowledge on anyone’s behalf.
Fire risk assessment
As we alluded to in the introduction, if you’re a ‘duty holder’ — i.e., someone who owns an Airbnb or is responsible for managing the property — you must have a comprehensive, written fire safety risk assessment carried out before you can take in paying guests.
This assessment should ideally be conducted by a specialist fire safety expert with the necessary experience, accreditations, and knowledge of the Airbnb industry to identify potential fire risks. It must be reviewed annually once complete.
You need to display a copy of the assessment within your property or somewhere that’s accessible to guests. In an information folder, for example.
External Wall Systems (EWS)
If your Airbnb property has external walls with cladding, this must be checked as part of a fire safety assessment.
We can’t stress this point enough in light of such major incidents as the Grenfell disaster.
Fire doors
Your Airbnb must contain fire doors that are easy to open and close and can withstand the spread of fire and smoke for up to 30 minutes. These are known as FD30 doors, and you can read more about them in our article on fire door regulations for UK flats.
Ideally, any doors within your Airbnb should be FD60 — that is, able to prevent the spread of fire for up to an hour — but FD30 doors are a minimum legal requirement.
Alarms and smoke detectors
You must have a heat alarm in your Airbnb’s kitchens and laundry rooms.
Your Airbnb must also contain interlinked, hard-wire smoke detectors in the following areas:
- All bedrooms
- All living rooms
- Dining rooms leading to the main fire exit
- Hallways
- Corridors
- Staircases
You may need more complex detection systems if you own a larger property. If you’re unsure, reach out to a specialist fire risk assessor.
Escape routes
The escape routes must lead to safety and be free of obstructions. They must also contain fire doors with a 30-minute protection capability (see above).
When guests check in, they should be provided with a plan drawing or instructions on how to access the nearest exit.
Escape signs
The escape signs must be clearly signposted, and you should provide information about their whereabouts to guests.
Escape lighting
Unless there are streetlights directly outside your Airbnb, your guests will find it very difficult to see and safely evacuate themselves.
That’s why your bedrooms should have BS EN 1838 lighting that provides suitable illumination in the event of mains failure during a fire.
A plug-in rechargeable torch may also suffice, particularly in bedrooms and hallways of small to medium-sized properties.
Larger properties, on the other hand, may need full escape lighting.
Again, if you need more information on the above, a specialist fire risk assessor can advise you on your best options.
Locks
Thumb turn locks that allow you to easily open and close doors from the inside of a room are strongly recommended for exit doors. The simple reason for this is that they remove the need for guests to turn a key to unlock them from the inside.
If you don’t have these installed already, don’t worry. They can be retrofitted to most doors by a local handyman or locksmith. However, please make sure any locks you get retrofitted meet the BS 8621 standard, as many insurers will look for this as a condition of maintaining your policy.
Furniture
All items of furniture in your Airbnb must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety Regulations 1988 (amended 1989, 1993 and 2010).
These regulations consist of six key elements, as detailed below:
- Filling materials must meet specified ignition requirements.
- Upholstery composites must be cigarette resistant.
- Covers must be match-resistant (with certain exceptions as outlined in Section 8.2 and Appendix A5).
- A permanent label must be fitted to every item of new furniture (with the exception of mattresses and bed-bases).
- A display label must be fitted to every item of new furniture at the point of sale (with the exception of mattresses, bed-bases, pillows, scatter cushions, seat pads, loose covers sold separately from the furniture and stretch covers).
- The first supplier of domestic upholstered furniture in the UK must maintain records for five years to prove compliance. The requirements regarding testing and labelling of items are detailed in Schedules 1-7 of the Regulations. Schedules 1-5 provide detailed information regarding the testing requirements for foam and non-foam fillings, composites, interliners and covers. Schedules 6-7 provide detailed information regarding the display and permanent labelling of the final item.
You should be able to find a label on each item indicating that it meets this safety standard.
Hot water and heating systems
Your hot water and heating systems (including systems powered by renewable energy such as air and ground source heat pumps) must be inspected annually by a qualified contractor.
These annual checks could highlight potentially serious issues such as gas and carbon monoxide leaks and boiler malfunctions that could cause fires.
In addition, it’s generally advised to avoid having portable heaters in your Airbnb.
Cooking appliances
You must have Gas Safety Certificates (CP12) for all gas appliances in your Airbnb.
For electrical installations, you’re legally required to have an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) done every five years. This report must be carried out by a registered electrician.
Candles
This will hopefully be one of the most obvious points we’ve made in this article, but you must prohibit your Airbnb guests from using candles and tea lights while they’re staying in your property.
You should communicate this policy in writing to your guests prior to their arrival.
Chimneys
Your Airbnb’s chimney flues should be swept at least once a year to ensure they’re as clean as possible and minimise build-up of soot, bird nests, and cobwebs.
An annual sweep will also remove creosote, a mixture of chemicals which can lead to dangerous chimney fires.
Fire safety equipment
Your guests need quick access to an extinguisher in the event of a fire. If you have staff working on your premises, they should be trained in how to use fire safety equipment such as extinguishers and fire blankets.
Fire safety compliance checklist for Airbnb properties
Since we’ve covered a lot of ground, here’s a quickfire summary of the key points from our article:
- Get a fire risk assessment carried out.
- Make sure your Airbnb contains FD30 doors as a minimum.
- Provide clear escape signage and instructions for guests.
- Make sure your Airbnb has proper escape routes and emergency lighting.
- Make sure your Airbnb has the necessary fire safety equipment.
- Keep records of all safety inspections.
What are the penalties for non-compliance with the regulations?
Not following the new fire regulations for Airbnbs could have serious consequences, such as:
- Fines: Landlords and managing agents can face unlimited fines for failing to adhere to fire safety standards. This landlord in Derby was fined £29k for a lack of automatic fire detection, among many other issues.
- Criminal charges: In the most extreme cases of non-compliance — i.e., where there is clear evidence of flagrant disregard for the regulations — landlords and managing agents can face up to two years in prison.
- Closures: Again, in severe cases, authorities can issue a prohibition notice which restricts or prohibits the use of the property until the landlord or managing agent has implemented the necessary safety measures.
- Loss of property licence: Failure to comply with the fire regulations for Airbnb properties could see your licence revoked.
Where can I find out more about the regulations?
You can read the full fire safety regulations for Airbnb properties here.
For larger and/or more complex properties, please consult this document.
What does a fire risk assessment cover?
As you’ll know from reading this article, getting a fire risk assessment for your Airbnb is critical.
But if you either haven’t had one done for a while or have never had one done, you might be wondering — what does a risk assessment actually cover?
A fire risk assessor will:
- Identify potential fire hazards and sources of ignition.
- Evaluate the probability of a fire and its subsequent consequences.
- Put measures in place to prevent a fire from starting (installing heat and smoke alarms and fire extinguishers, for instance).
- Record the findings, develop an emergency plan, instruct, inform and train.
- Arrange to regularly review your fire risk assessment and make updates where necessary to ensure you remain compliant.
I need a written fire risk assessment for my Airbnb
If this is the case, you’re in the right place.
Our team of specialist fire risk assessors have many years of experience in providing detailed inspections for Airbnb properties.
Plus, we’re a BAFE SP205 accredited company, meaning all our fire risk assessments are completed and quality assured to a high standard and can be relied upon as an accurate assessment of your premises.
Once we’ve conducted an assessment, you should have your report within ten working days.
You’ll be taking a massive step towards being compliant by reaching out to us today.
Call us on 0151 665 0124 or email info@nwsolutions.co.uk to arrange for us to attend your property.
We look forward to working with you.