How to make your paying guest accommodation fire safe?

If you are managing paying guest accommodation – such as B&Bs, small hotels and properties rented out on websites like Airbnb – then you will need to ensure that all of the required fire safety standards are in place.

So, to ensure you are keeping your guests safe and remaining compliant with all applicable fire safety regulations, keep reading.

Below, we have outlined the regulations and fire safety rules in place regarding paying guest accommodations in the UK, and shared our best practice fire safety tips.

What fire hazards do you need to be aware of?

The main fire hazards present in paying guest accommodation include:

• Electrical faults or faulty wiring
• Damaged electrical appliances
• Misuse of cooking appliances (for example, forgetting to turn an oven off)
• Portable electric heaters (either being left on by mistake, experiencing a fault, or being placed too close to combustible materials)
• Smoking indoors
• Using candles
• Storing any flammable liquids (such as cleaning solvents)
• Insufficient fire safety equipment

Why do you need a working fire alarm system?

Fire alarm systems are an integral part of fire safety standards, particularly for paying guest accommodation.

With a fire alarm system in place, you can ensure that:

• Fires are detected early
• Occupants are notified of the fire (which is especially important if they are sleeping, or in a different room)
• Evacuation can take place before the fire is allowed to escalate
• The fire services can be contacted at the earliest possible point
• The fire is contained, and prevented from spreading
• You and your premises are remaining legally compliant
• Your guests enjoy complete peace of mind, knowing that the right fire safety measures are in place

Where should fire extinguishers be located on your premises?

Fire extinguishers should be positioned in strategic places throughout your premises. That way, in the event of an emergency, the extinguishers can be accessed quickly and easily.

Fire extinguishers should be placed in the following areas:

• Near exits and escape routes
• Near any high-risk areas (such as kitchens)
• Common areas for property residents (such as hallways)
• Near fuse boxes and electrical panels

All of these locations need to be clearly signposted, easily visible and readily accessible.

What are the current fire safety rules?

The current fire safety rules for paying guest accommodation in the UK are outlined in A guide to making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire.

According to these regulations, if you are responsible for the premises, then you need to:

• Conduct a fire risk assessment of your premises, and keep a record of it
• Ensure adequate fire safety measures are in place. This includes fire alarm systems and fire prevention measures
• Maintain the fire safety measures that are in place
• Implement suitable fire procedures for guests and employees
• Ensure guests and employees understand the premises’ fire safety measures, and provide them with instruction about the procedures and safety measures
• Co-operate with any other responsible persons, and co-ordinate your fire safety measures
• Continue to review your fire risk assessment and fire safety measures on a regular basis

Who does this apply to?

This guide is designed to help people who are responsible for fire safety in paying guest accommodation.

This encompasses any accommodation ‘with simple layouts, limited fire risks and a small number of bedrooms designated as guest sleeping accommodation for short-term lets’. Examples include B&Bs and guest houses.

Properties that fall under this remit include:

• Single premises of either ground floor, or ground and first floor
• Accommodation that sleeps a maximum of 10 persons
• Has a maximum of four bedrooms on the first floor
• Individual flats, including houses that have been converted into flats (except for unusually large flats)

Your responsibilities

It’s important to note that the fire safety measures you need to implement will vary, based on the layout of your premises, the nature of your business, and whether or not you (or other staff) will be there when your guests stay.

While the Fire Safety Order does not outline the specific fire safety measures that are required for you to take, it does require you to identify risks and manage them, with appropriate and well-considered fire safety measures.

So, it is your responsibility to understand the fire safety risks in your premises, and use your judgement to decide what the best way is to minimise them.

As a result, you will need to assess:

• The site’s hazards
• The risks that are present
• The needs of all people (including yourself, guests and any staff) on the premises
• How the nature and layout of the premises affect the risks that are present
• How the number of rooms and the nature of the services offered (e.g. if the premises is self-catered or not) affect the risks that are present

You can find more details about the regulations and your responsibilities for the fire safety of your premises on the GOV.UK website.

Do you need a fire risk assessment?

In short, yes. You will need to conduct a fire risk assessment of your premises.

What’s more, this assessment will need to be updated (and the site re-assessed) on a regular basis. The government recommends that your fire safety assessment takes place on an annual basis. But, if you make any significant changes to your building or services, then you will need to update your assessment accordingly.

Fire risk assessments form the absolute foundations of fire safety, and are ‘fundamental to fire safety law.’

Through these fire risk assessments, you can carefully and accurately determine the most effective fire safety measures to implement in your premises. After all, every property is different.

If you have not created a fire risk assessment before, then you may want to enlist a fire safety specialist to support you.

At Target Fire Protection, we are specialists in fire safety regulations, and we can create a fire risk assessment for your paying guest accommodation that ensures complete legal compliance.

With the assistance of our team, you can maintain the highest fire safety standards for your premises.

If you would like to find out more about our fire risk assessment services, don’t hesitate to get in touch.