Used by 2 councils
East Hampshire and Havant HMO fire safety standards
East Hampshire and Havant publish word for word the same Guidance on Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation. Its fire safety section sets a basic alarm minimum and points to LACORS, the national guide, for the rest.
Read "Guidance on Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)" →What the East Hampshire and Havant standard expects in 3 typical HMOs
Your council may have changed some of the detail, so check your council's own page below.
| 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 | Not required | Required | Required |
| Fire door on the kitchen | Not 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)
- LD3 (escape route only)
- LD2 (escape route plus rooms where fires are likely to start)
What the standard says
Fire alarms
Council's own standard
“As a minimum, all HMOs must be provided with mains wired smoke detectors located in the escape route and any communal living room and mains wired heat detectors located in all rooms containing cooking facilities. All detectors must be interlinked to sound simultaneously.”
Fire doors
Council's own standard
“Fire doors are not likely to be required in one or two storey properties occupied as shared houses, dependent on layout and risk. However doors must be of sound construction. Hollow panel doors, or doors with thin/flimsy panels, and doors in poor condition will not be acceptable. Fire doors will be required in properties that are occupied as bedsits.”
Fire risk assessment
Council's own standard
“Under the Fire Safety (Regulatory Reform) Order landlords/managers are legally obliged to have carried out a Fire Risk Assessment for their property. The council may request to see this document during the HMO licensing process.”
Emergency lighting
Council's own standard
“The provision of emergency escape lighting may be required where there is no natural or borrowed lighting.”
Fire blankets
Council's own standard
“Fire blankets conforming to British Standards (BS 7944:1999 or BS EN 1869:1997) are required in all rooms containing cooking facilities.”
Councils using the East Hampshire and Havant standard
Every council's HMO fire safety standard →Common questions
Which councils use the East Hampshire and Havant standard?
2 councils: East Hampshire, Havant.
Is the East Hampshire and Havant standard stricter than LACORS?
Our rules for these councils use LACORS, the national guide. Where the document asks for less, or says nothing, we use the LACORS minimum.
Do your HMO fire risk assessment online
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report with a prioritised action plan. £45, no subscription.