Fire safety rules for holiday lets

If you own a holiday let, you need to meet fire safety regulations designed to protect your guests and property.

The law means all holiday let owners in England and Wales must follow strict fire safety rules, including steps for fire risk assessments, alarms, escape routes, and providing information to guests. The guidance also applies to a range of property types, including flats, holiday cottages, and unique accommodation like glamping pods.

Below, we’ll break down what you need to do to stay compliant.

What are the fire safety rules for holiday lets?

Health and safety regulations for holiday lets are designed to make sure all holiday let owners – even those who let out a room for a single night – rent out fire safe properties.

As a holiday let landlord, it’s important that you have fire safety procedures in place not only for guests but also for anyone you employ to manage the property.

Below is an overview of everything you need to know.

Fire risk assessment

All holiday let owners must complete a written fire risk assessment before renting out their property. You must record your assessment and make it accessible for guests – this could be in a welcome pack.

You’ll need to record your findings and make these easily accessible for guests, such as including them in a welcome pack or information folder. The assessment should look at how to prevent fires from starting and how anyone in the building can escape safely if there is a fire.

You can use the government’s 5-step checklist and risk assessment template. Simple properties may not need a professional assessor, but larger or more complex properties should use someone with the right experience.

Lighting in your holiday let

Holiday let owners need to make sure that if a fire knocks out internal lighting, there’s enough ‘borrowed lighting’ such as streetlights for guests to be able to see.

If there isn’t, owners can provide rechargeable torches if the mains supply fails.

Larger properties will need more complex automatic emergency lighting systems (check the relevant guidance for more information).

Read more: Fire safety regulations for landlords

Fire doors in holiday homes

Escape route doors should be solid and close-fitting. These are normally fine unless they’re hollow-core or thin panel doors, which you’ll need to replace. Doors should be able to resist fire for at least 30 minutes. While fitting a self-closing device to exit doors is recommended for extra protection, it’s not a compulsory requirement for every door.

Make sure doors on escape routes and at exits are easy to open without a key from the inside. Thumb-turn locks are strongly recommended for this reason.

It’s good practice to check all escape route doors are in good condition, close properly, and haven’t warped or become damaged over time.

Holiday let smoke alarm regulations

Holiday let owners are required to have linked, hard-wired smoke detectors in all bedrooms and living rooms in their property. They should also make sure heat detectors are installed in kitchens.

Complex alarm and fire detection systems should be checked every six months, while it’s recommended that property managers test that alarms are working between each set of guests.

Fire safety equipment

Owners of holiday lets are required to provide equipment such as fire extinguishers and fire blankets.

You must install interlinked smoke alarms in all hallways, staircases, lounges, dining rooms, and bedrooms. These can be hard-wired (Grade D1) or wireless (Grade F1). Heat alarms are required in every kitchen. And long-life sealed battery alarms are acceptable as a temporary solution if they meet the correct standards.

These alarms should ideally be mains-powered (Grade D1) with a tamper-proof backup battery. Wireless interlinked alarms are fine as long as all alarms sound together when one is triggered.

You must test all alarms at each change of occupancy and at least once a month. For more complex alarm systems, such as those found in large properties or blocks of flats, professional maintenance at least every six months is recommended.

Fire safety in holiday lets – what is a responsible person?

When reading fire safety regulations, you’ll often come across the term ‘responsible person’. This is the person or group of people who are responsible for making sure the property is compliant. 

In the case of holiday lets, it could be the owner of the property (the landlord), a holiday let agent, or anyone else who has control of the property.

What else do holiday let landlords need to be aware of?

Alongside the measures listed above, there’s also fire safety rules on the following:

• woodburners – owners should organise an annual sweep of the property’s chimney flues
• locks – locks on exit doors shouldn’t require a key to open from the inside
• candles – guests shouldn’t be given candles by holiday home owners
• heating – the property’s heating system should be checked once a year
• electrical safety – an electrical safety check is required every five years
• furniture – all furniture should be compliant with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988

Read more: Renting out your property – rules for landlords

What type of properties do fire regulations for holiday lets apply to?

The fire safety rules apply to all holiday homes in England and Wales, but there’s different guidance to follow depending on the size of your property.

What happens if holiday home owners don’t comply with fire safety regulations?

If your property doesn’t comply with the fire safety rules, you could be forced to stop renting it out until it’s been made fire safe.

Non-compliant holiday let owners could also be fined an unlimited amount or be given a prison sentence of up to two years if an inspection by the fire service finds that their property doesn’t meet the requirements.

For more information about making a small holiday home fire safe, you can visit Fireengland.uk or VisitBritain.

More guides for holiday let owners

• Where are the UK’s best holiday let areas?
• Furnished holiday let tax: a simple guide
• A property investor’s guide to holiday let mortgages
• What is holiday let insurance?

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