HMO Fire Risk Assessments for Shared Homes in London
Arrange a suitable and sufficient assessment of the common parts, escape route and fire-safety arrangements in a London HMO. Send the property layout, occupancy, current records and the reason for the assessment so the correct scope can be confirmed.
Fire, smoke or an obstructed escape route?
For fire, smoke or immediate danger call 999. Do not wait for a routine assessment. If an escape route, fire door or alarm fault presents an urgent risk, keep people away where possible and obtain competent advice straight away.
What does the Fire Safety Order cover in an HMO?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to the non-domestic parts of a multi-occupied residential building. In an HMO this commonly includes shared corridors, stairways, entrance halls, common kitchens or lounges, service cupboards, basements, plant areas and shared escape routes. It does not apply inside an individual domestic premises in the same way.
That boundary does not mean bedrooms can be ignored when considering the risk. The assessor needs to understand how rooms are arranged, who lives in the property, where fire might start and how smoke or heat could affect the protected route. Access needs depend on the layout and agreed scope, so identify any rooms or locked areas that cannot be inspected before the visit.
Housing legislation, HMO management duties, licence conditions and the Fire Safety Order can overlap. The report should identify the premises and scope clearly rather than assuming that one standard layout or one council requirement applies to every shared house.
The assessor can help, but the responsible person retains the duty
The responsible person is the person or organisation with control of the relevant premises. Depending on ownership, leases and management arrangements, this may be a landlord, freeholder, HMO licence holder, employer, managing agent or a combination of parties. Where responsibilities are shared, each party should identify the others, record the extent of its duties and coordinate fire-safety measures.
Since 1 October 2023, responsible persons must record the completed fire risk assessment in full, including all findings, and record their fire-safety arrangements. If an individual or organisation is engaged to make or review the assessment, their identity must also be recorded. Relevant information must be shared with other responsible persons and passed to an incoming responsible person when control changes.
For buildings containing two or more sets of domestic premises, relevant fire-safety information must also be supplied to residents in an understandable format. Keep distribution records with the assessment, review notes and completed actions so the fire-safety file shows what was identified, what was communicated and what happened next.
What should the assessor examine?
A suitable assessment follows the actual building and the people who use it. It should not be a generic checklist with the address changed. The assessor gathers evidence, examines the premises and records enough detail for the responsible person to understand the risks and take action.
Fire hazards
Ignition sources, heating and cooking, smoking, electrical concerns, deliberate fire-setting risk, combustible storage and any dangerous substances.
People at risk
Residents, visitors, contractors and anyone who may need help to understand a warning or use the escape route, including people asleep when a fire starts.
Escape route
Travel through rooms and common parts, final exits, locks, obstructions, signage, emergency lighting and the effect of smoke on the route.
Fire separation
The apparent condition of walls, floors, ceilings, service penetrations and fire doors intended to limit fire and smoke spread.
Warning and equipment
Fire detection and alarm arrangements, manual call points where provided, firefighting equipment and the records available for inspection and testing.
Management
Housekeeping, inspections, fault reporting, resident information, contractor control, staff training where relevant and follow-up of earlier actions.
Separate technical checks: the risk assessment considers whether fire precautions are appropriate, but it does not automatically include a full alarm service, emergency-lighting duration test, intrusive fire-door survey or electrical inspection. Those services should be specified separately where needed.
Expect findings and priorities, not a pass certificate
A fire risk assessment normally produces a written report and action plan. It should identify the premises, assessment date, scope, people consulted, hazards found, people at risk, existing precautions and further measures. Limitations such as inaccessible rooms, missing plans or unavailable maintenance records should be clear.
Actions should be specific enough to allocate and close. A useful item identifies the location, problem, recommended measure and risk-based priority. The responsible person should record who owns the action, the target date, any interim control and the evidence that confirms completion.
The absence of a “fail” label does not mean every item can wait. Immediate danger and serious escape-route defects need urgent control. Longer-term improvements can be planned according to risk, but reasons and progress should remain visible in the fire-safety file.
There is no universal annual expiry date
The responsible person must review the assessment regularly and keep it up to date. The correct interval depends on the building, residents, management and findings. A review is also needed when there is reason to suspect the assessment is no longer valid or after a significant change to the matters it covers.
Do not rely only on a diary date. A conversion, extension, new internal layout, change in occupancy, new vulnerable resident, altered escape route, fire-alarm change, substantial door or compartmentation work, fire or near miss can all prompt an earlier review. Licence, insurer or enforcement deadlines must also be followed where they apply.
Choose an assessor whose experience fits the HMO
Government guidance allows a responsible person to make an assessment where they have the necessary expertise and time. If they do not, they should appoint a competent person to help. Competence should be judged against the complexity and risk of the property, not assumed from a job title alone.
Ask about training, experience with comparable HMOs, professional registration or third-party certification where relevant, insurance, report format and quality controls. For larger, unusual or mixed-use buildings, confirm whether the assessor can address the whole scope or will identify where specialist input is required.
The responsible person remains accountable for ensuring the assessment is suitable and sufficient. Read the report, question unclear findings, provide missing information and track actions rather than treating the appointment as the end of the duty.
Send the layout, occupancy and current fire-safety evidence
Provide the full address and postcode, number of storeys, basements, loft rooms, letting rooms, shared spaces and final exits. Explain whether the building is a shared house, bedsit-style HMO, converted property, purpose-built block or mixed-use premises. A floor plan is valuable even when it is not drawn to scale.
Send the current HMO licence and any council, insurer or fire-service wording that led to the request. Include the previous assessment and outstanding actions, fire-alarm and emergency-lighting records, known fire-door or compartmentation concerns, resident fire information and planned works.
Arrange lawful access to the common parts and any rooms needed for the agreed scope. Tell the assessor about vulnerable residents, mobility or communication needs, night workers, children, regular visitors and any access restrictions without sharing unnecessary personal data. Identify the person who can answer management questions during the visit.
Choose the service that answers the finding
HMO Fire Risk Assessment FAQs
Who is responsible for the fire risk assessment in an HMO?
The responsible person is normally whoever has control of the relevant premises, which may be the freeholder, landlord, licence holder, employer or managing agent depending on the arrangements. More than one responsible person can exist. Each should understand the extent of their control, identify the others and cooperate so that fire-safety measures work across the whole building.
Which parts of an HMO does the fire risk assessment cover?
The Fire Safety Order applies to the non-domestic parts of multi-occupied residential buildings, such as communal corridors, stairs and plant rooms, rather than inside an individual domestic dwelling. The assessor still needs enough information about the building, occupancy and room arrangement to judge how a fire in any part could affect escape and people using the common parts.
How often should an HMO fire risk assessment be reviewed?
There is no single annual interval that suits every HMO. The responsible person must review the assessment regularly and whenever it may no longer be valid, including after a material change, fire, near miss, conversion, altered occupancy, changed escape arrangement or significant fire-safety work. A licence, insurer or enforcing authority may also set a date that must be met.
Does a fire risk assessment produce an HMO fire certificate?
It normally produces a written fire risk assessment and action plan, not a pass-or-fail certificate. The report records hazards, people at risk, existing precautions and further measures. Alarm, emergency-lighting and fire-door inspections may create separate test or inspection records, but those records do not replace the overall risk assessment.
What must be recorded in the assessment?
Responsible persons must record the completed assessment in full, including all findings, and their fire-safety arrangements. If someone is engaged to make or review the assessment, record that person’s name and, where applicable, their organisation. Keep the report, review history, action evidence and relevant information supplied to residents or another responsible person together.
Does the assessment include alarm, emergency-lighting and fire-door tests?
The assessor considers whether those precautions are suitable for the risk and examines the available records, but a risk assessment is not automatically a full specialist test of every system or door. Send the request wording and existing records first so any required alarm service, emergency-lighting test or fire-door inspection can be identified as a separate scope.
What information should I send before requesting an assessment?
Send the full address and postcode, number of storeys and letting rooms, type of HMO, occupancy details, floor plans if available, current licence or council wording, previous assessment and action plan, fire-alarm and emergency-lighting records, known fire-door issues, planned building work, access contact and the date the report is needed.
Send the postcode, layout and current fire-safety records
Include the HMO type, storeys, letting rooms, occupancy, access arrangements, previous report and the date the new assessment is required.