London
Merton HMO fire safety requirements
Merton publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "Guidance on Fire Safety, Privately Rented Properties (London Borough of Merton)" (June 2026).
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?
Guidance on Fire Safety, Privately Rented Properties (London Borough of Merton)
Published June 2026.
Read the council's document →When did we last check?
15 October 2026
We re-check every council's documents each month and update this page when they change.
What Merton 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 D1, LD2
- 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
- Required
3-storey shared house, 6 tenants
- Fire alarm system
- Grade D1, LD2
- 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
- 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
- Not 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 D1, LD2 | Grade D1, LD2 | 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 | Not required | Not required | Not required |
| Fire blanket in the kitchen | Required | Required | Required |
| Fire extinguishers | Required | Required | Required |
- 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)
In the council's own words
The wording these requirements come from, quoted from the published documents.
Fire alarms
Council's own standard
“Small HMOs (3 to 4 unrelated occupants) ... Grade D1, LD2 coverage system: interlinked smoke detection in circulation spaces on each floor, linked smoke detection in living room(s), and linked heat detection in the kitchen. ... Large HMOs (5 and more Unrelated Occupants) ... Grade D1, LD2 coverage system: interlinked smoke detection in circulation spaces on each floor, linked smoke detection in occupied units, including shared living rooms and linked heat detection in the kitchen. ... Grade A, LD2 coverage system: higher-risk HMOs, including bedsit ac- commodation, hostels, properties with cooking facilities within individual ... units, complex layouts, or higher-risk occupancy profiles. ... Grade D1, LD2 coverage system: in shared houses type of HMOs”
Fire doors
Council's own standard
“with all doors opening onto the route from risk rooms (shared kitchens, living rooms and occupied units) fitted with FD30S fire doors incorporating suitable self-closing devices”
Escape route
Council's own standard
“A protected means of escape providing a minimum of 30 minutes' fire and smoke resistance is required.”
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
Council's own standard
“Additional Fire precautions: fire blankets and 3kg CO2 extinguisher in shared kitchen.”
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it.
Common questions
Do I need a fire risk assessment for a Merton HMO licence?
Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in Merton?
Which fire safety standard does Merton use for HMOs?
What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in Merton?
Check your Merton HMO against the council's standard
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on Merton's rules. £45, no subscription.