Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 for HMO Landlords

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force on 23 January 2023 — and a lot of HMO landlords still don't know they apply to them. Some of the provisions target high-rise buildings specifically, but several requirements hit ordinary HMOs directly. If you haven't updated your fire safety practices since early 2023, there's a real chance you're non-compliant right now.

Here's what the Regulations actually require, which parts apply to your HMO, and what you need to do to get compliant.

Why Were These Regulations Introduced?

The short version: Grenfell. The Grenfell Tower fire exposed serious gaps in fire safety compliance across the residential sector, and the Hackitt Review that followed led to a wave of new legislation. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 sit alongside the Fire Safety Act 2021, which extended the scope of the RRO 2005 to make clear that the structure, external walls, and flat entrance doors of multi-occupied residential buildings are all within scope.

Together, these two pieces of legislation are the most significant update to residential fire safety since the RRO 2005 itself. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Which Requirements Apply to Your HMO?

If Your Building Has Three or More Storeys

This is where most HMO landlords get caught out. If your building has three or more storeys — and a lot of HMOs are in terraced houses with three floors — the Regulations require you to:

• Do quarterly checks of all flat entrance fire doors. You're looking at whether the self-closing device works properly, whether there are any obvious defects, and whether the door actually closes fully on its frame. Every quarter. Document it.
• Do annual checks of all communal area fire doors. This is a more thorough inspection — intumescent strips, smoke seals, hinges, closers, frame integrity. Once a year, minimum.
• Display fire safety instructions in communal areas — the evacuation strategy, how tenants can report fire safety concerns, and where the fire-fighting equipment is located.

All Multi-Occupied Residential Buildings (Any Height)

Even if your building is only two storeys, the Regulations still require you to give your tenants specific fire safety information, including:

• The evacuation strategy for the building — are tenants supposed to get out immediately (simultaneous evacuation) or stay put unless affected?
• How to report a fire or raise a fire safety concern
• Information about any fire safety features that are relevant to residents

This information must be given to each tenant when they move in, and re-issued to everyone at least once a year, and whenever it changes. It's not a one-off.

How Does This Fit with Your Fire Risk Assessment?

The fire door inspection requirements need to be recorded as part of your fire safety management. BS 9792:2025 — the current British Standard for fire risk assessments — explicitly incorporates these duties. So if your fire risk assessment was produced to the 2025 standard, it will include a section confirming whether the required checks are in place and current.

If your assessment predates January 2023, it doesn't cover these new duties at all. That's a review trigger. The RRO 2005 requires you to review your assessment when there's been a significant change — new legislation absolutely counts.

What Are the Penalties for Getting This Wrong?

Non-compliance with the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 is a criminal offence under the RRO 2005. The penalties are the same: unlimited fines and up to two years in prison. Enforcement is done by local fire and rescue services, who can inspect your premises and issue enforcement notices. For a full picture of how enforcement actually works, see our guide to the consequences of not having a fire risk assessment for your HMO.

Councils will also factor this in when they're looking at your HMO licence application or renewal. Non-compliant fire safety documentation is a red flag.

Right — What Do You Need to Do?

1. Review your fire risk assessment. If it predates January 2023, it needs updating to reflect the 2022 Regulations' requirements.
2. Set up a fire door inspection schedule. Quarterly checks for flat entrance doors (three-storey+ buildings), annual checks for communal doors. Put it in the calendar now.
3. Prepare a fire safety information document for residents covering the evacuation strategy, how to report a fire, and any relevant fire safety features in your building.
4. Give it to every tenant when they move in and re-issue it to everyone at least once a year.
5. Put up signage in communal areas if your building has three or more storeys.

The Bottom Line

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 added real, specific duties for HMO landlords — fire door inspection schedules for three-storey+ buildings, and resident fire safety information requirements for all multi-occupied buildings. If you haven't updated your fire risk assessment and practices since January 2023, you're likely non-compliant.

FRASafe's assessment covers these duties as part of its BS 9792:2025-aligned questionnaire — so when you complete it and download your PDF, you'll have a document that reflects the full current legal picture, not just the law as it stood three years ago.