Fire risk assessments for homeowners
Property owners have legal obligations when it comes to fire safety and care for the people residing on their properties. These requirements differ depending on the type of property you own or rent.
Current legislation, specifically the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) of 2005, establishes that landlords must carry out a fire risk assessment in all areas of their properties. The purpose is to identify any fire hazards, determine who is at risk, and then decide what must be done to eliminate or reduce that risk.
Any owner of a flat within premises where there is no owner, for example. 8 floors and a common area, lease or freehold, become ‘responsible persons’ and must also ensure that legislative requirements are met and maintained.
The Housing Act of 2004 is the legislation that covers mixed-use premises where people are not related, live independently of each other, and share common areas of the same building.
The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms (England) Regulations 2015 apply to the interior of any such dwelling (from 1st October 2015 private sector owners will be required to have at least one smoke alarm installed in each floor of your properties and a carbon monoxide alarm on any floor). room that contains a solid fuel burning appliance) (eg, coal fire, wood stove) – must also ensure that alarms are in good working order at any lease change.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the legislation for the common areas of any of the properties listed above.
The LACORS (Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services) guide provides guidance on the need for a fire risk assessment and provides information on what a property requires to comply with fire safety legislation. This covers a variety of residential facilities including many HMOs.
At a minimum, you should ensure that you have an adequate means of escape route from your properties in the event of a fire and adequate smoke detection. It is up to the ‘responsible person’ to make sure this is in place and so if you are the owner, manager, agent or even landlord of an apartment you need to find out who that responsible person is as it may be you .
Every property you rent must have a fire risk assessment. Fire risk assessments are the responsibility of the ‘responsible person’ and must be completed by a competent person with sufficient knowledge, experience and qualifications. In short, a fire risk assessment must identify any fire risk, identify people at risk, assess, eliminate, remove or protect from risk, record, plan, report, instruct and train, and finally review the assessment by least once a year or if there have been significant changes.
For more information on our residential fire risk assessments or any other aspect of fire safety, please see http://www.whalefire.co.uk/residential-fire-risk-assessments.aspx