What Changed in BS 9792:2025 for HMO Landlords

BS 9792:2025 — the British Standard for fire risk assessments in premises other than dwellinghouses — came into force in 2025, replacing BS 9792:2022. For HMO landlords, it is the most important update to fire safety assessment methodology in several years. FRASafe is built specifically to the 2025 standard.

This article explains what changed, why it matters for HMOs, and what landlords need to do differently as a result.

What Is BS 9792 and Why Does It Matter?

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO 2005) requires fire risk assessments to be “suitable and sufficient” but does not prescribe a specific methodology. British Standards fill that gap. BS 9792 is the authoritative guidance on how to conduct a fire risk assessment for residential premises with common areas — including HMOs.

Assessments that follow BS 9792:2025 are considered to meet the legal standard. Fire services and courts use compliance with published standards as a benchmark when evaluating whether an assessment was adequate. An assessment that doesn't reflect the current standard may be treated as insufficient — even if it was adequate when originally produced.

Key Changes in BS 9792:2025

1. Enhanced Guidance on Sleeping Risk

The 2025 standard places greater emphasis on the heightened risk presented by sleeping occupants. HMOs by definition have people sleeping on the premises, which significantly increases the consequence of fire. The updated standard provides more detailed guidance on how to factor sleeping risk into the overall risk rating and the adequacy of fire detection and warning systems.

2. Clearer Framework for Fire Door Assessment

BS 9792:2025 includes more prescriptive guidance on how fire doors should be assessed, including specific checks for intumescent strips, smoke seals, door closers, and frame integrity. This reflects enforcement experience where poorly fitted fire doors have been a primary cause of fire spread in HMO fires.

3. Updated Approach to Means of Escape

The 2025 standard refines the methodology for assessing means of escape, with clearer criteria for evaluating travel distances, corridor widths, and the adequacy of escape routes in older and converted properties — the type most commonly used as HMOs.

4. Stronger Requirements for Documenting People at Risk

The standard now includes more explicit guidance on identifying and recording vulnerability factors among occupants — including mobility impairments, sensory impairments, and alcohol or drug use — that may affect the ability to respond to a fire alarm or evacuate safely. This is particularly relevant for HMOs with mixed or transient occupancy.

5. Integration with the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

BS 9792:2025 explicitly cross-references the duties introduced by the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, including the requirements for fire door checks in buildings with three or more storeys. Assessments produced to the 2025 standard incorporate these duties rather than treating them as separate obligations.

What This Means for Existing HMO Fire Risk Assessments

If your fire risk assessment was produced before 2025, it was produced to an older standard. The RRO 2005 requires the responsible person to review the assessment “when they have reason to suspect it may no longer be valid or there has been a significant change.” A change in the applicable British Standard is a reasonable trigger for review.

Councils are increasingly aware of BS 9792:2025 and may query assessments that do not reflect current methodology — particularly on fire door assessment and sleeping risk.

Does FRASafe Comply with BS 9792:2025?

Yes. FRASafe was built to BS 9792:2025 from the outset. Every question in the assessment maps to the methodology set out in the 2025 standard. The PDF report it produces documents findings in the format and structure the standard prescribes.

FRASafe is the first online HMO fire risk assessment tool built specifically to the 2025 standard.

Summary

BS 9792:2025 brings enhanced guidance on sleeping risk, fire door assessment, means of escape evaluation, and the documentation of vulnerable occupants. HMO landlords with older assessments should review them against the new standard. FRASafe makes it straightforward to produce a fully compliant 2025 assessment — free to complete, £45 for the PDF.