London
Kensington and Chelsea HMO fire safety requirements
Kensington and Chelsea publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "Houses in multiple occupation: Guide to Flats in Multiple Occupation and Shared Houses (Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea)" (Version 1, 1 August 2011).
Is a fire risk assessment needed for the licence?
Expected, but not sent in
The council's guidance talks about fire risk assessments, but it does not ask you to send one with your application. Fire safety law still says you need one.
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: Guide to Flats in Multiple Occupation and Shared Houses (Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea)
Published Version 1, 1 August 2011.
Read the council's document →When did we last check?
14 October 2026
We re-check every council's documents each month and update this page when they change.
What Kensington and Chelsea 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, LD3
- 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
- Required
3-storey shared house, 6 tenants
- Fire alarm system
- Grade D2, LD3
- 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
- Required
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
- Required
| 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 | 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 | Required | Required | Required |
- 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)
In the council's own words
The wording these requirements come from, quoted from the published documents.
Fire alarms
LACORS national guide
“Shared house HMO of three or four storeys (shared cooking facilities) Grade D: LD3 coverage + additional detection to the kitchen, lounge and any cellar containing a risk (interlinked) Shared house HMO of five or six storeys (shared cooking facilities) Grade A: LD2 coverage ... Bedsit HMO of one or two storeys with individual cooking facilities within bedsits A mixed system: Grade D: LD2 coverage in the common areas and heat detectors in bedsits (interlinked) Grade D smoke alarm in each bedsit to protect the sleeping occupants (non-interlinked) Bedsit HMO of three to six storeys with individual cooking facilities within bedsits A mixed system: Grade A: LD2 coverage in the common areas ... Where cooking facilities are sited in shared kitchen, not within bedsits: interlinked smoke alarms with integral battery backup located in each bedsit”
Fire doors
Council's own standard
“In general terms the following fire safety measures must be considered: ... 30 minute fire resistant doors are required on all doors opening onto the protected route.”
Escape route
Council's own standard
“Provision of a protected escape route The protected escape route leads from the letting to the street exit through the building, and normally includes staircases, passageways, landings and protected lobbies. Protection is provided by fire resistant doors and partitions.”
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 which comes on if mains electricity fails must be fitted to illuminate the protected route and some internal staircases.”
Fire extinguishers
Council's own standard
“Fire extinguishers, rated 13A (for example, nine litre water type extinguishers) must be provided within the common parts, normally one per landing”
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it.
Not in Kensington and Chelsea?
Common questions
Do I need a fire risk assessment for a Kensington and Chelsea HMO licence?
Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in Kensington and Chelsea?
Which fire safety standard does Kensington and Chelsea use for HMOs?
What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in Kensington and Chelsea?
Check your Kensington and Chelsea HMO against the council's standard
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on Kensington and Chelsea's rules. £45, no subscription.