North West
Cheshire West and Chester HMO fire safety requirements
Cheshire West and Chester follows the Homestamp standard, which 10 other councils use too.
Is a fire risk assessment needed for the licence?
Expected, but not sent in
The council's guidance talks about fire risk assessments, but it does not ask you to send one with your application. Fire safety law still says you need 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?
Property and Management Standards Applicable to Houses of Multiple Occupation (Amenity Standards)
Published Undated (PDF modified December 2022).
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 Cheshire West and Chester 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
- Not required
3-storey shared house, 6 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
- Not required
3-storey bedsits with cooking in rooms, 6 tenants
- Fire alarm system
- Grade A, LD2, plus a linked heat detector and a standalone 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
- Not required
- Fire blanket in the kitchen
- Required
- Fire extinguishers
- Not required
| 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 D2, LD3 | Grade A, LD2, plus a linked heat detector and a standalone smoke alarm 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 | Not required | Not required |
| Fire blanket in the kitchen | Required | Required | Required |
| Fire extinguishers | Not required | Not required | Not required |
- 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
Shared regional standard
“A system of mains powered automatic smoke detectors with battery back up, to achieve a Grade D system in accordance with the current BS 5839 Part 6 (or equivalent), must be installed. ... In kitchens a heat detector, rather than a smoke detector, must be installed. ... By providing a detector/ sounder in the communal areas ... Detectors must be sited in all areas containing a fire risk. ... The main system shall provide heat detectors in individual lets and smoke detectors in common areas and any storerooms/cellars (interlinked system). ... single point smoke alarms are also required. These detectors are not interlinked between rooms. ... GRADE A of the current BS 5859 Part 6 (or equivalent). Automatic detection must provide LD2 coverage. ... comprising of GRADE A (main system) and GRADE D (Single point smoke alarms). The main system must provide LD2 coverage.”
Fire doors
Council's own standard
“A protected means of escape is generally required with Fire doors (FD30s) on all bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens that lead onto the hall stairs and landing.”
Escape route
Council's own standard
“A protected means of escape is generally required with Fire doors (FD30s) on all bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens that lead onto the hall stairs and landing.”
Kitchen heat detector
LACORS national guide
“additional interlinked heat alarm with integral battery back-up located in the kitchen”
Emergency lighting
Shared regional standard
“Subject to a fire risk assessment emergency lighting should not be necessary, provided that the escape route is not long or complex and there is effective artificial or borrowed lighting. ... Where emergency lighting is considered to be necessary, it should be provided in accordance with the current BS 5266 Part 1 (or equivalent) to cover the protected escape route.”
Fire extinguishers
Shared regional standard
“Landlords should consider the following points where extinguishers are to be provided ... devices. Unless a fire is very small, it is best ... on balance to encourage people simply to”
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Not in Cheshire West and Chester?
Councils using the same standard as Cheshire West and Chester
Common questions
Do I need a fire risk assessment for a Cheshire West and Chester HMO licence?
Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in Cheshire West and Chester?
Which fire safety standard does Cheshire West and Chester use for HMOs?
What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in Cheshire West and Chester?
Check your Cheshire West and Chester HMO against the council's standard
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on Cheshire West and Chester's rules. £45, no subscription.