South East
Lewes HMO fire safety requirements
Lewes publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "Prescribed Standards for Houses of Multiple Occupation (Lewes District Council)" (2009, revised June 2014).
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?
A qualified fire risk assessor
The council says the fire risk assessment must be carried out by a qualified or experienced fire risk assessor. A landlord's own assessment is unlikely to be accepted for the licence.
Which standard applies?
Prescribed Standards for Houses of Multiple Occupation (Lewes District Council)
Published 2009, revised June 2014.
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.
Lewes asks for a qualified fire risk assessor, so a self-assessment (including ours) is unlikely to be accepted for your licence. Find a qualified assessor →
What Lewes 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 A, LD2, plus a linked smoke alarm in each letting
- Fire doors on bedrooms
- Required
- Fire door on the kitchen
- Required
- Protected escape route
- Not required
- Heat detector in the kitchen
- Required
- Emergency lighting
- Not required
- Fire blanket in the kitchen
- Required
- Fire extinguishers
- Recommended
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
- Not required
- Fire blanket in the kitchen
- Required
- Fire extinguishers
- Recommended
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
- Not required
- Fire blanket in the kitchen
- Required
- Fire extinguishers
- Recommended
| 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 A, 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 | 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 A (a panel system with call points)
- 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
Council's own standard
“In shared houses – Category L2 detection alarm system (BS 5839 Part 1 2002) electrically interconnected smoke detectors to be fitted to every bedroom & common hall ways with heat detectors to kitchens ... In a property with cooking facilities located in each unit – L2 fire detection and alarm system electrically interconnected heat detectors to be fitted to each unit & smoke detectors to common hall ways. Also fit a stand alone smoke alarm (BS 5466) in each bedsit for earlier warning to occupant”
Fire doors
Council's own standard
“All doors opening onto an escape route (with the exception of some WC's and bathrooms, not containing an ignition source and fire loading) must be FD30S”
Escape route
LACORS national guide
“No requirement for full 30-minute protected route note 7, but the escape route should have sound, traditional construction and should not pass through risk rooms ... 30-minute protected route note 8, is required, including 30-minute fire-resisting construction”
Kitchen heat detector
LACORS national guide
“additional interlinked heat alarm with integral battery back-up located in the kitchen”
Emergency lighting
LACORS national guide
“Emergency escape lighting required only if the route is long or complex or where there is no effective borrowed light ... Shared house HMO of five or six storeys (shared cooking facilities) Conventional lighting and emergency escape lighting”
Fire extinguishers
LACORS national guide
“a simple multi-purpose extinguisher is recommended on each floor in the common parts of HMOs and buildings containing flats.”
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it.
Common questions
Do I need a fire risk assessment for a Lewes HMO licence?
Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in Lewes?
Which fire safety standard does Lewes use for HMOs?
What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in Lewes?
Get a qualified assessor for your Lewes HMO
Lewes wants a qualified fire risk assessor. Tell us about the property and we will put you in touch with one.