South East
Eastleigh HMO fire safety requirements
Eastleigh publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Licence Conditions, including Fire Safety Standards (Eastleigh Borough Council)" (2021).
Is a fire risk assessment needed for the licence?
Yes, with your licence application
The council lists a written fire risk assessment as one of the documents you send with your HMO licence application.
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 (HMO) Licence Conditions, including Fire Safety Standards (Eastleigh Borough Council)
Published 2021.
Read the council's document →When did we last check?
15 October 2026
We re-check every council's documents each month and update this page when they change.
What Eastleigh 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, LD2, plus a linked smoke alarm in each letting
- Fire doors on bedrooms
- Required
- Fire door on the kitchen
- Required
- Protected escape route
- Not 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
- Not 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 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
- 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, LD2, plus a linked smoke alarm in each letting | Grade A, LD2, plus a linked smoke alarm in each letting | 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 | Not 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 | Recommended | Recommended | Recommended |
- Grade D2 (mains alarms with a replaceable backup battery)
- Grade A (a panel system with call points)
- 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
“1 - 2 storey properties require a Grade D: LD2 Automatic Fire Detection System ... This comprises a mains-wired alarm system with battery backup, incorporating ... All circulation spaces that form part of the escape routes from the dwelling ... All bedrooms ... 3+ story properties require a Grade A: LD2 Automatic Fire Detection System”
Fire doors
Council's own standard
“Fire doors to FD30s standard (self-closure, cold smoke seals and intumescent strips) should be provided to ... All bedrooms”
Escape route
LACORS national guide
“No requirement for full 30-minute protected route note 7, but the escape route should have sound, traditional construction and should not pass through risk rooms ... 30-minute protected route note 8, is required, including 30-minute fire-resisting construction”
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
“Emergency lighting in escape routes where there is insufficient borrowed light”
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 Eastleigh HMO licence?
Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in Eastleigh?
Which fire safety standard does Eastleigh use for HMOs?
What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in Eastleigh?
Check your Eastleigh HMO against the council's standard
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on Eastleigh's rules. £45, no subscription.