Fire safety rules for holiday lets

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

The fire safety regulations require property owners to reduce the chances of a fire starting and have the steps in place so people can evacuate safely in the event of a fire.

The rules for holiday homes were extended in October 2023 and apply to properties in England and Wales. They include measures on fire doors, smoke alarms, and lighting.

Read on to find out who the rules apply to and what you need to do to comply.

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

Holiday home owners must complete a fire risk assessment before renting out their property.

The rules also state that small holiday let businesses (those with fewer than five employees) need to formally record their risk assessments. These should be displayed somewhere in the property, and are often included in the welcome pack.

When completing a fire risk assessment for your holiday let, you’ll need to consider the following:

• are there protection measures in place to keep guests, employees, and other visitors to the property safe from fire?
• are there measures in place to prevent fires from starting?

It’s important to note that you can complete a fire risk assessment yourself, but this should only be done for the smallest properties with the simplest layouts. For any other type of holiday let, the assessment should be completed by a professional.

There’s more information about fire risk assessments on the government website.

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

Any escape routes from holiday homes should be lined with fire doors that take more than 30 minutes to burn.

Front doors of one and two bedroom apartments should also be self-closing fire doors.

For smaller holiday homes, fire doors should be checked every six months to make sure they remain fit for purpose.

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.

This equipment will need to be checked once a year by a competent person. It’s also recommended that weekly checks are completed to make sure the equipment is in good working order.

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.

Do you have any unanswered questions about the fire safety rules for holiday lets? Let us know in the comments below.

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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