Used by 10 councils
Hertfordshire HMO fire safety standards
Hertfordshire councils work with Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service on a shared HMO fire safety guide. Councils publish it in a few different versions, so the detail can differ slightly from one council to the next.
Read the Hertfordshire document →What the Hertfordshire standard expects in 3 typical HMOs
Councils publish more than one version of this standard. This table uses the version most of them publish. Your council's page shows its exact version.
2-storey shared house, 5 tenants
- Fire alarm system
- Grade D1, 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
- Not advised
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
- Not advised
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
- Required
- Fire blanket in the kitchen
- Required
- Fire extinguishers
- Not advised
| 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 D1, 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 | Required | Required | Required |
| Heat detector in the kitchen | Required | Required | Required |
| Emergency lighting | Required | Required | Required |
| Fire blanket in the kitchen | Required | Required | Required |
| Fire extinguishers | Not advised | Not advised | Not advised |
- Grade D1 (mains alarms with a sealed backup battery)
- Grade A (a panel system with call points)
- LD2 (escape route plus rooms where fires are likely to start)
What the standard says
Fire alarms
Shared regional standard
“All HMOs must have automatic fire alarm systems installed. The requirements are different for two storey HMOs and for three (or more) storey HMOs ... Provide a Fire Alarm System to include smoke detectors in every bedroom, throughout the escape route and in communal living rooms ... The detectors must be hard wired to the mains and interlinked with integral battery back-up. The system must comply with the current British Standard 5839 part 6: Grade D1, LD2 (or equivalent) ... interlinked with a control panel containing battery back-up. The system must comply with the current British Standard 5839 part 6: Grade A LD2 (or equivalent).”
Fire doors
Shared regional standard
“Ensure that there are self-closing fire doors that provide 30 minutes fire and smoke protection (FD30S) on all bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms.”
Escape route
Shared regional standard
“All HMOs shall be provided with an adequate protected means of escape from fire, together with other fire precautions including so far as necessary, a fire detection and warning system with emergency lighting to the satisfaction of the inspecting officer.”
Kitchen heat detector
LACORS national guide
“additional interlinked heat alarm with integral battery back-up located in the kitchen”
Emergency lighting
Shared regional standard
“Arrange for the installation of suitable and sufficient emergency lighting to provide adequate coverage to the protected fire escape route. The number and position of any luminaries should be determined by your fire risk assessment.”
Fire extinguishers
Shared regional standard
“The use of fire extinguishers is not recommended in HMOs, however if they are provided they must be: a) Checked and serviced annually with records kept.”
Common questions
Which councils use the Hertfordshire standard?
10 councils: Broxbourne, Dacorum, East Hertfordshire, Hertsmere, Luton, North Hertfordshire, St Albans, Three Rivers, Watford, Welwyn Hatfield.
Is the Hertfordshire standard stricter than LACORS?
In some places, yes. Where it asks for more than LACORS, you need to meet it. Where it asks for less, or says nothing, we use the LACORS minimum instead.
Check your HMO against your council's standard
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on your council's rules. £45, no subscription.