Private rented property standards guidance

As each property is unique it is not possible to provide exact and prescribed standards for every type of property. For example, in large or complex buildings with unusual layouts there may be additional fire safety requirements.

In such cases the council will make assessments on a case-by-case basis and are happy to advise landlords accordingly. 

Fire detection and alarm system

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) 

Where there are three or more persons forming two or more separate households sharing a property.

The correct fire detection based on the type and size of the property must be installed, further guidance should be sought on this from the Housing Standards Team, 0191 433 2350.

In addition you can consult LACORS Fire Safety Guidance (opens new window) and BS5839:6 2019.

As a minimum a single person/family dwelling must have;

• a smoke alarm installed on each storey of the house on which there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation, (including a bathroom, lavatory, hall, or landing) and 
• that smoke alarm is kept in proper working order and that it is tested on the first day of any new tenancy and on regular intervals thereafter. 

(It is recommended that tenants are advised to test alarms themselves monthly.) 

The regular testing as required by Licence Condition 3d must be done by the licence or their representative on the day of any new tenancy and at regular intervals thereafter. As a minimum the council would expect testing to coincide with your property inspection as required and in accordance with Licence Condition 10f. A record must be kept of the tests and when these were carried out. 

Government guidance recommends that landlords choose the type of smoke alarms based on the needs of their building and their tenants, and that those alarms are compliant with British Standard BS 5839-6. Where battery powered alarms are chosen, the use of alarms with 'sealed for life' batteries rather than alarms with replaceable batteries are preferred.

The siting of the detectors must be in line with the manufacturer's installation instructions. In most cases this means the detector must be ceiling mounted and at least 300mm from the room walls. Check the installation instructions for the detector, if detectors are found to be sited incorrectly council officers will insist that they are moved and sited correctly. 

The council recommend that it is best practice to have the following fire detection in place.

• Interlinked mains powered smoke detectors with integral battery back-up to be located in the escape route on all floors. 
• Interlinked mains powered heat detector with integral battery back-up located in the kitchen. 
• Where the layout is complex, or there are beams or other items which will interfere with smoke reaching the detection in a suitable timescale, additional smoke detection may be required. 
• A smoke detector is recommended to be fitted in any utility room. These rooms often contain appliances that could potentially pose a fire risk, so having a smoke detector there adds an extra layer of protection
• It may be necessary to have additional smoke detection in other rooms depending on the layout and use of the rooms.

Escape route

The escape route is most likely to be a hall or passage. The route should have sound, conventional construction and should not pass through risk rooms (kitchens and living rooms). Where the escape route passes through risk rooms suitable escape windows should be provided from first floor bedrooms and living rooms. 

• Sound, well-constructed and close-fitting conventional doors are required as a minimum. 
• Please note that where construction standards are poor, travel distances to the final exit doors are long or other higher risk factors are present then a fire-rated protected route may be required. 
• All escape routes must be always kept free of obstructions, slip and trip hazards and combustible materials.
• Escape route walls and ceilings should be of sound traditional construction.
• Escape routes should not pass through any risk rooms such as kitchens where possible.
• Escape routes must be well lit by normal or emergency escape lighting
• Emergency lighting must be provided only if the escape route is long, complex or lacks sufficient borrowed light. This must comply with the recommendations of BS 5266, Part 1 current edition. 

Fire separation

• Floors, walls, and ceilings should be of sound, conventional construction. 
• If a basement or cellar is present, fire-rated separation between the cellar and the ground floor escape route is ideal. 

Fire fighting equipment 

It is recommended and good practice to provide a fire blanket in the kitchen 

Basement / underfloor storage areas

• Where a basement or under floor storage area is used to store combustible materials and/or houses gas or electricity meters, 30 minutes fire separation is required between the area and the ground floor, including a 30-minute fire door fitted at the head of the basement stairs. Externally accessed storage areas must have a lockable entrance to prevent unauthorised access

Inner rooms

Where the only escape route is through another room, this is termed an 'inner room' and poses a risk to its occupier if a fire starts unnoticed in the outer room (sometimes termed an 'access room'). This arrangement should be avoided wherever possible. 

However, where unavoidable it may be accepted where the inner room is a kitchen, laundry or utility room, a dressing room, bathroom, WC, or shower room.

Where the inner room is any other type of habitable room (for example a living room, sleeping room, workroom, or study) it should only be accepted if:

• The inner room has access to a suitable door opening onto an alternative safe route of escape, or it is situated on a floor which is not more than 4.5m above ground level and has an escape window leading directly to a place of ultimate safety
• An adequate automatic fire detection and warning system is in place
• A fire-resisting door of an appropriate standard is fitted between the inner and outer rooms (typically 30 minute fire-resisting door with intumescent strips and cold smoke seals also known as a FD30S, for non-high-risk outer rooms).

Fire escape windows

Any window provided for emergency escape purposes should have an unobstructed openable area that is at least 0.33m² and have a minimum 450mm height and 450mm width. The bottom of the openable area should not be more than 1,100mm above the floor.

Escape windows can only be considered if satisfied that it would be safe to use them in an emergency. They should meet the following criteria:

• They serve rooms whose floor level is no more than 4.5m from the ground.
• Every room served by the escape window has access to it without entering another habitable room with a lockable door (unless of a type that can be overridden from outside the room without the use of a key, tool or numerical code) and any tenancy agreement should ideally prohibit the fitting of alternative or additional locks. 
• If it is necessary to pass through the common escape route to reach the escape window, consideration should be had to the travel distance involved. Where the common escape route is not a protected route, unusually long travel distances may be unacceptable and other fire precautions may be necessary (this will not usually be the case in conventional houses).
  • occupiers are able-bodied individuals with no specific high-risk characteristics and who can reasonably be expected to exit via the window unaided.
  • there is no basement well or other encumbrance beneath the window such as railings or a conservatory.
  • the escape window is openable from the inside without the use of a removable key; and the ground below is level and free of obstructions; and
  • the window or door should lead to a place of ultimate safety, clear of the building. However, if there is no practical way of avoiding escape into a courtyard or back garden from where there is no exit, it should be at least as deep as the building is high.

Other fire safety requirements

• Polystyrene ceiling and wall tiles are highly flammable and can spread fire quickly they are not permitted to be fitted in any room or means of escape. 
• It is possible to have a fire-resistant polystyrene tile. These must meet British Standard BS476-7, and the council provided with confirmatory evidence the British Standard is met and the type of tile that is in place. If there is doubt on the evidence provided and the type of tile cannot be confirmed they must be removed.
• Any locks fitted to bedroom doors are to be openable from the inside without the use of a key.
• It is good practice and recommended to provide adequate fire safety instructions for residents at commencement of the tenancy.

Furniture

Upholstered furniture and soft furnishings that are provided by the landlord in private rented dwellings, including any furniture that has been left in the property by previous tenants for the use of the current or future tenants, must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (opens new window).

Any furniture and appliances that have been left in the property by previous tenants and are retained for the use of the current or future tenants become the responsibility of the landlord to maintain in a safe condition.