Used by 2 councils
Mole Valley and Tandridge HMO fire safety standards
Mole Valley and Tandridge run a shared housing service and publish the same Amenity Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation. Mole Valley's copy is Version 2 (January 2025) and Tandridge's is Version 3 (March 2025).
Read "Amenity Standards: Houses in Multiple Occupation (Tandridge and Mole Valley Shared Service)" (V2, Revised January 2025) →What the Mole Valley and Tandridge 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, LD2 | Grade D2, LD2 | Grade A, LD1, plus a linked heat detector and a linked smoke alarm in each letting* |
| Fire doors on bedrooms | Not 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 | Not advised | Not advised | Not advised |
- 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)
- LD1 (alarms in all rooms and on the escape route)
- * The council's own standard asks for less here, so we show the LACORS minimum. We never go below LACORS.
What the standard says
Fire alarms
Shared regional standard
“Grade D, LD1system consisting of mains wired, interlinked smoke alarms in all letting rooms, living/dining rooms and basements. Mains wired, interlinked heat alarm in kitchen or any room containing cooking facilities ... Grade D, LD2 interlinked fire alarm system with smoke detectors in escape route at all levels and heat alarm in the kitchen”
Fire doors
Shared regional standard
“Doors to all risk rooms including letting rooms, living/dining rooms, kitchens and basements must be 30-minute fire doors ... Bedroom doors must be solid, in good repair with no gaps and close fitting ... Bedroom doors must be 30-minute fire doors with intumescent strips but no smoke seals”
Escape route
Shared regional standard
“30-minute protected escape route direct from all risk rooms to a place of ultimate safety ... Bedroom doors must be 30-minute fire doors with intumescent strips but no smoke seals”
Fire extinguishers
Shared regional standard
“The fire service discourage the provision of fire extinguishers except in premises with full time on-site staff who are trained in their use”
Councils using the Mole Valley and Tandridge standard
Every council's HMO fire safety standard →Common questions
Which councils use the Mole Valley and Tandridge standard?
2 councils: Mole Valley, Tandridge.
Is the Mole Valley and Tandridge 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.
Do your HMO fire risk assessment online
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