England's short-term let register isn't live yet. GOV.UK says it is expected to begin in March 2027, but it isn't in force and the date has moved before. When it starts, hosts in England will need to register on a national register run by the government. The government hasn't published fees, a deadline for existing hosts, penalties or a list of documents you'll need.
What isn't in doubt is the fire safety law that already applies. If the fire and rescue service inspects your property, you need the paperwork to show you've met it, register or no register.
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FRASafe's holiday let assessment covers what fire safety law asks of a holiday-let host. Complete it online in 30–45 minutes for £45.
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There are five documents every short-term let host needs. Three require a qualified professional to visit your property, which means they can't be sorted overnight. One you can complete online today, in under an hour. Here's exactly what each document is, what makes it legally valid, and how quickly you can get it.
What we know about the register
We don't yet know exactly what the register will ask for. What we do know is that a written fire risk assessment is a legal must under the Fire Safety Order today, so having one ready now means you're covered whatever the register asks. The fire and rescue service can already inspect paying-guest accommodation, and the five documents below are what you'd want to show them. Our guide to the England STL registration scheme has the latest on dates.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the RRO 2005), as amended by the Fire Safety Act 2021, has applied to every short-term let in England since long before this registration scheme existed. The coming register simply shines a spotlight on it. And one myth worth clearing up: the 90-night planning rule has nothing to do with fire safety. It's a planning threshold, not a fire safety exemption. We covered this in our post on the 90-night rule and your fire safety obligations. If you're letting your property to paying guests for even a single night, the full force of fire safety law applies.
Document 1: Fire Risk Assessment
This is the most important document on the list, and the one most hosts are missing.
Under the RRO 2005, every person who accepts paying guests is the "responsible person" and must carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. Since October 2023, that assessment must be written down. A mental note does not count. A verbal walkthrough does not count. You need a document.
For holiday lets, the main reference is the government's guide, Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire (updated January 2025). BS 9792:2025, the newer British Standard, is for housing such as HMOs and doesn't apply to holiday lets.
Your FRA must cover: fire hazards in the property, who is at risk (including guests who don't know the layout), the adequacy of existing precautions including detection, escape routes, and fire-fighting equipment, and what further action is needed. It must be reviewed at least annually, or sooner if you make significant changes to the property.
How long is it valid? One year, or after a significant change to the property.
Can you sort it today? Yes, and this is genuinely important. The FRA is the only document on this list you can complete without waiting for anyone. FRASafe's holiday let fire risk assessment walks you through what fire safety law asks of a holiday-let host. Complete it online in 30–45 minutes for £45. Start your assessment today.
Document 2: Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)
If your property has any gas appliances, a boiler, gas hob, or gas fire, you need a current Gas Safety Certificate, also called a CP12. This must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. You can verify an engineer's registration at the Gas Safe Register website.
The certificate must be renewed every 12 months. There is no grace period. An expired CP12 means your property is non-compliant.
How long is it valid? 12 months.
Can you sort it today? No. You need to book a Gas Safe engineer. In many areas, especially during busy periods, that can take two to three weeks. If your certificate is expired or due within three months, book now. If your property is all-electric with no gas appliances, you don't need a CP12, but confirm this before assuming.
Document 3: Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
An EICR is a formal inspection of your property's fixed electrical installation: the wiring, sockets, switches, consumer unit, and earthing system. It must be carried out by a qualified electrician. A satisfactory EICR confirms the installation is safe. An unsatisfactory report means remedial work is required before you can safely let the property.
For short-term lets, an EICR is strongly recommended and expected as part of any fire safety compliance review. The practical expectation, and what the fire and rescue service will look for, is an EICR no older than five years.
How long is it valid? Five years, or sooner if the report recommends it.
Can you sort it today? No. Lead times for a qualified electrician typically run two to four weeks, longer in rural areas or during peak season. Check your last report date now.
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Document 4: Smoke and CO alarm compliance
Under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, you must have a working smoke alarm on every floor of your property. A carbon monoxide (CO) alarm is required in every room with a solid fuel appliance such as a wood burner, open fire, or Aga. CO alarms are also strongly recommended wherever there's a gas boiler or gas appliances.
For short-term lets, the guidance goes further than the statutory minimum: interlinked alarms are recommended so that a fire in one part of the property alerts guests throughout, including those asleep in bedrooms. Guests are unfamiliar with your layout and can't be expected to hear a single alarm in a hallway.
There's no certificate for alarm compliance. You need to demonstrate that alarms are installed, tested, and working. Keep a written log of testing dates and check every alarm between lettings.
How long is it valid? Ongoing. Test before every stay, replace batteries annually, replace units per the manufacturer's guidance.
Can you sort it today? If alarms are missing, yes: buy and fit them today. If they're in place, log the test date. The full legal detail is in our guide to smoke and CO alarm requirements for holiday let hosts.
Document 5: Furniture and Furnishings compliance
Every piece of upholstered furniture in your short-term let must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988. This covers sofas, armchairs, bed bases, headboards, mattresses, and loose covers. Compliance is baked into the product at manufacture: compliant items carry a permanent fire safety label. No label means non-compliant. Non-compliant furniture must be removed before you list.
There's no certificate to obtain here. The check is a physical walk-through: look at every piece of upholstered furniture and find the label. Furniture made before 1950 is exempt. Furniture bought abroad or from informal sources may not meet UK requirements, so check carefully.
Can you sort it today? The check takes an afternoon. Walk every room and look for the label. Our full breakdown is in our guide to furniture fire safety regulations for holiday let hosts.
The one document you can cross off today
Three of the five documents require booking a professional, and you're at the mercy of their availability. Gas engineers and electricians are often booked out two to four weeks, sometimes longer in rural areas or during peak season. If you're letting soon, you may already be behind on those two.
The fire risk assessment is different. It's the most important document on the list. It's also the most commonly missing. And unlike everything else here, you don't need to wait for anyone to complete it.
FRASafe's holiday let fire risk assessment walks you through what fire safety law asks of a holiday-let host, specifically built for short-term lets. Complete it online in 30–45 minutes for £45. The assessment covers escape routes, fire detection, fire-fighting equipment, hazard identification, emergency lighting, and furnishings. At the end, you download a PDF you can keep on file and produce if the fire and rescue service comes calling. Start your assessment today.
Work through this list in order of lead time
Don't work through this alphabetically. Work through it by how long each item takes to arrange. The things that need booking need to be booked first.
- Gas Safety Certificate: if your CP12 is expired or due within three months, book a Gas Safe engineer today.
- EICR: check the date of your last report. If it's more than five years old, book an electrician.
- Fire Risk Assessment: complete it online via FRASafe. You can have the PDF in your hands within the hour.
- Smoke and CO alarms: walk the property, test every alarm, and log it. Add interlinked alarms if you don't already have them.
- Furniture compliance: check every piece of upholstered furniture for the fire safety label. Remove anything without one.
Four of these five items can be resolved with a phone call, a purchase, or an afternoon's work. The fire risk assessment, the most legally significant document of the five, you can complete before the end of today.