East of England
Brentwood HMO fire safety requirements
Brentwood publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "Houses in Multiple Occupation: Adequate Means of Escape from Fire and Other Fire Precautions (Essex Chief Officers Specialist Housing Group)" (3rd Amendment November 2004).
Is a fire risk assessment needed for the licence?
Not stated by the council
We could not find the council saying whether it wants to see your fire risk assessment. Fire safety law still says the landlord of an HMO must have one.
Who can carry it out?
No rule on who writes it
The council does not say who must carry out the fire risk assessment, so a landlord can do it themselves, as long as it is done properly.
Which standard applies?
Houses in Multiple Occupation: Adequate Means of Escape from Fire and Other Fire Precautions (Essex Chief Officers Specialist Housing Group)
Published 3rd Amendment November 2004.
Read the council's document →When did we last check?
14 October 2026
We re-check every council's documents each month and update this page when they change.
What Brentwood expects in 3 typical HMOs
Worked out from the council's own fire safety rules for three common kinds of HMO. Your house may need more or less depending on its layout, which is what a fire risk assessment is for.
2-storey shared house, 5 tenants
- Fire alarm system
- Grade D2, LD3
- Fire doors on bedrooms
- Required
- Fire door on the kitchen
- Required
- Protected escape route
- Required
- Heat detector in the kitchen
- Required
- Emergency lighting
- Not required
- Fire blanket in the kitchen
- Required
- Fire extinguishers
- Recommended
3-storey shared house, 6 tenants
- Fire alarm system
- Grade A, LD2, plus a linked smoke alarm in each letting
- Fire doors on bedrooms
- Required
- Fire door on the kitchen
- Required
- Protected escape route
- Required
- Heat detector in the kitchen
- Required
- Emergency lighting
- Required
- Fire blanket in the kitchen
- Required
- Fire extinguishers
- Recommended
3-storey bedsits with cooking in rooms, 6 tenants
- Fire alarm system
- Grade A, LD2, plus a linked heat detector in each letting
- Fire doors on bedrooms
- Required
- Fire door on the kitchen
- Required
- Protected escape route
- Required
- Heat detector in the kitchen
- Required
- Emergency lighting
- Required
- Fire blanket in the kitchen
- Required
- Fire extinguishers
- Recommended
| Requirement | 2-storey shared house, 5 tenants | 3-storey shared house, 6 tenants | 3-storey bedsits with cooking in rooms, 6 tenants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire alarm system | Grade D2, LD3 | Grade A, LD2, plus a linked smoke alarm in each letting | Grade A, LD2, plus a linked heat detector in each letting |
| Fire doors on bedrooms | Required | Required | Required |
| Fire door on the kitchen | Required | Required | Required |
| Protected escape route | Required | Required | Required |
| Heat detector in the kitchen | Required | Required | Required |
| Emergency lighting | Not required | Required | Required |
| Fire blanket in the kitchen | Required | Required | Required |
| Fire extinguishers | Recommended | Recommended | Recommended |
- Grade D2 (mains alarms with a replaceable backup battery)
- Grade A (a panel system with call points)
- LD3 (escape route only)
- LD2 (escape route plus rooms where fires are likely to start)
In the council's own words
The wording these requirements come from, quoted from the published documents.
Fire alarms
Council's own standard
“systems will be required in all 3 and 4 ... storey buildings.”
Fire doors
Council's own standard
“BS 8214: 1990 (FD 30s) half hour fire ... check doors to all rooms opening into ... protected stairway except WC/ bathroom”
Escape route
Council's own standard
“construction to be 30 Minutes fire resisting to British Standard 476 formed”
Kitchen heat detector
LACORS national guide
“additional interlinked heat alarm with integral battery back-up located in the kitchen”
Emergency lighting
Council's own standard
“too onerous to insist upon emergency”
Fire extinguishers
LACORS national guide
“a simple multi-purpose extinguisher is recommended on each floor in the common parts of HMOs and buildings containing flats.”
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it.
Common questions
Do I need a fire risk assessment for a Brentwood HMO licence?
Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in Brentwood?
Which fire safety standard does Brentwood use for HMOs?
What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in Brentwood?
Check your Brentwood HMO against the council's standard
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on Brentwood's rules. £45, no subscription.