Yorkshire and The Humber
North Lincolnshire HMO fire safety requirements
North Lincolnshire publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "Appendix 4: Houses in Multiple Occupation Amenity Standards Guide (North Lincolnshire Council)" (Revised September 2019).
Is a fire risk assessment needed for the licence?
Yes, with your licence application
The council lists a written fire risk assessment as one of the documents you send with your HMO licence application.
Who can carry it out?
A "competent person"
The council says a "competent person" must carry it out. In fire safety law that means someone with enough training, experience or knowledge to assess the house properly. A careful landlord can meet that.
Which standard applies?
Appendix 4: Houses in Multiple Occupation Amenity Standards Guide (North Lincolnshire Council)
Published Revised September 2019.
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 North Lincolnshire 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, LD3
- 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 shared house, 6 tenants
- Fire alarm system
- Grade D1, LD3
- 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 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 | 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 | Recommended | Recommended | Recommended |
- 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)
In the council's own words
The wording these requirements come from, quoted from the published documents.
Fire alarms
Council's own standard
“mains powered detection in all circulation spaces that form part of the escape route and heat detectors within the bedsit ... Grade D1 smoke detectors in each bedsit (not interlinked) ... One or two storeys without cooking facilities within bedsit = Mixed system ... Three to six storeys without cooking facilities within the bedsit = Mixed system ... One to four storeys with shared cooking facilities no locks on bedroom doors”
Fire doors
Council's own standard
“In addition to appropriate fire detection, HMOs must also have the following: ... Protected means of escape – walls, floors, ceilings and door sets should be of such construction as to provide 30 minutes fire resistance.”
Escape route
Council's own standard
“In addition to appropriate fire detection, HMOs must also have the following: ... Protected means of escape – walls, floors, ceilings and door sets should be of such construction as to provide 30 minutes fire resistance.”
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.”
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Not in North Lincolnshire?
Common questions
Do I need a fire risk assessment for a North Lincolnshire HMO licence?
Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in North Lincolnshire?
Which fire safety standard does North Lincolnshire use for HMOs?
What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in North Lincolnshire?
Check your North Lincolnshire HMO against the council's standard
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on North Lincolnshire's rules. £45, no subscription.