Used by 2 councils
Malvern Hills and Wychavon HMO fire safety standards
Malvern Hills and Wychavon district councils publish one Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation document (POL0016), in force from March 2026.
Read "Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO), POL0016" (Implemented March 2026) →What the Malvern Hills and Wychavon 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 D1, LD3 | Grade D1, 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 | Not required | Not required | Required |
- Grade D1 (mains alarms with a sealed 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
Shared regional standard
“It is not recommended that a Grade D2 system is installed in rented dwellings. ... details what the councils will accept as the minimum in terms of the grade and coverage of ... Shared Grade D1: LD3 system ... integral battery pack back-up ... including bedrooms, living rooms, kitchen (heat ... Grade D1: LD2 coverage in ... Interlinked heat alarms with integral battery back-up located in each bedsit ... Additional non-interlinked smoke alarms with integral battery back-up in each bedsit ... Grade A: LD2 coverage in the ... Grade D1 smoke alarms in each bedsit to protect the sleeping occupants (non-interlinked)”
Escape route
Shared regional standard
“All properties must have a protected fire escape route where all occupants are able to escape safely in the event of a fire. ... No requirement for full 30-minute protected ... route but the escape route should have ... 30-minute protected route is required, ... where construction standards are poor, travel distances are long or other high risk factors are present, a 30-minute protected route and 30-minute fire doors may be required.”
Fire extinguishers
Shared regional standard
“Where kitchen facilities are provided within bedrooms or bedsitting rooms, they should be situated in a distinct kitchen area ... i. A fire blanket and suitable small fire extinguisher.”
Councils using the Malvern Hills and Wychavon standard
Every council's HMO fire safety standard →Common questions
Which councils use the Malvern Hills and Wychavon standard?
2 councils: Malvern Hills, Wychavon.
Is the Malvern Hills and Wychavon 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.
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