Fire protection in holiday properties: Safety measures and regulations for holiday rentals

May 2024

Fire safety: furnished holiday let rules 2024

If you’re trying to earn some money as a holiday property landlord, it’s essential to follow the rules. In October 2023, the British government introduced new fire regulations for England and Wales. If you’re renting out a property, you’ll need to follow these holiday let regulations or face some serious fines. Here’s the basic lowdown on what you need to do:

• You must have a fire risk assessment for a holiday let carried out. Keep a copy of your report on display in your property.
• There must be emergency escape lighting in bedrooms leading along the escape route.
• Any protected escape routes will need doors with a 30-minute fire protection capability.
• Hard-wired smoke detectors must be placed in all bedrooms, living rooms and protected escape routes. These must be linked.
• Hot water and heating systems must be inspected on a yearly basis.
• Although they are not mandatory, thumb turn locks are recommended on all exit doors.
• You must have your fixed wiring checked every five years.
• Chimney flues should be swept every year.
• You must check all fire safety equipment and exit routes at each change of occupancy.
• Candles should be prohibited.

While these may seem quite comprehensive, bear in mind that they don’t necessarily cover all holiday properties. Complex buildings have their own additional health and safety regulations for holiday lets. It is likely that they will see an update to fire regulations for holiday lets in 2024.

Fire risk assessment for holiday lets

A holiday cottage fire risk assessment is now a must, but what does that actually mean? In short, an FRA involves inspecting the entire premises and identifying all potential fire hazards. You’ll also need to put preventative measures in place and take all the necessary precautions to keep people safe. Bear in mind that a thorough FRA isn’t just aimed at looking after your guests but also your staff and anyone else who may be passing through the property.

Technically, you can carry out your own holiday let fire risk assessment. However, under the new fire regs for holiday lets, the government strongly recommends that you hire a professional. That’s particularly true if you’ve never carried out an FRA before, as you might not have a good idea of what you’re looking for.

Some examples of potential risks include:

• Electrical installations: Are they correctly installed and maintained?
• Smoking: Many landlords prefer to ban smoking on their premises altogether. In this case, you’ll need clear, prominently displayed ‘No Smoking’ signs.
• Heating systems: Like electrical installations, they should be carefully checked.
• Cooking facilities: Can they be made safer?
• Housekeeping and escape routes: Organise your furniture and other items to ensure that escape routes are kept clear.

A trained professional with experience of the new fire regulations for holiday lets in 2024 will help you identify these risks, as well as any others. Once your FRA has been carried out, make sure you keep a copy inside the property. It should be easily accessible to guests.

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Smoke alarm regulations for 2024 in the UK

The new PASC fire regulations have introduced special rules for smoke alarms. In the past, the holiday let rules only required people to have smoke and heat alarms. Now, though, the new regulations state that they must be interlinked.

An interlinked system of smoke and heat alarms will help make your holiday let significantly safer, especially if it is a large property. Now, if there is a fire in one room, all guests will be alerted promptly, giving them time to escape.

The new regulations only cover England and Wales. In Scotland, smoke alarms do not need to be interlinked. However, conscientious landlords may still want to install a connected smoke alarm system, for the sake of their guests’ safety.

Fire regulations for holiday lets: what tests do I need?

The end of the holiday let 4-year rule in England means that more people want to rent holiday apartments as a form of investment. If you’re one of them, then make sure you’re up to date with the legal requirements for letting a holiday property. When it comes to fire safety, you’re expected to carry out certain tests on a regular basis. Here’s a quick list:

• You should check that your smoke detectors and fire alarms are working between each set of guests.
• Under the new rules for holiday lets, you’ll also need to give complex alarm and fire detection systems a comprehensive check every six months.
• Fire safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers and fire blankets, must be checked once a year by a competent person.
• The holiday letting rules state that the heating system within the property should be checked once a year.
• You’ll need to carry out an electrical safety check every five years.

To rent my holiday home, do I need thumb turn locks?

The new fire regulations for holiday lets state that people should be able to immediately open emergency doors. Exit doors, such as the front or back door, must not require a key to open from the inside.

There are a couple of different options of locks that comply with these legal requirements for holiday lets. You can opt for a latch lock or a thumb turn lock. While thumb turn locks are not legally required, many people consider them to be the safest option. They are also generally quick and easy to install and can be fitted on older doors without problems. Under the new holiday let regulations in the UK, you may want to consider adding them to your property.

If I don’t meet the holiday letting fire regulations, can I still advertise my holiday home?

The short answer is no. If you advertise your property on a holiday rental portal — or worse, start booking guests — you’ll risk a fine. Minor fines have a cap of £5,000, but you may have the book thrown at you in the case of serious violations. For a serious fire safety offence, there is no limit on fines, and you could even face up to two years in prison.

With that in mind, it’s definitely better to wait until you’ve met all the regulations before signing up with a holiday rental website and looking for guests. You may also prefer to hire a professional to carry out your fire risk assessment so that you have the best possible results. After all, safety should always come first.

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