South East

Oxford HMO fire safety requirements

Oxford publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "Landlord's Guide to Amenities and Facilities for Houses in Multiple Occupation (Oxford City Council)" (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?

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?

Landlord's Guide to Amenities and Facilities for Houses in Multiple Occupation (Oxford City Council)

Published 2019.

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 Oxford 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, LD2
Fire doors on bedrooms: Recommended
Fire door on the kitchen: Required
Protected escape route: Recommended
Heat detector in the kitchen: Required
Emergency lighting: Not required
Fire blanket in the kitchen: Required
Fire extinguishers: Not required

3-storey shared house, 6 tenants

Fire alarm system: Grade D2, 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: Not 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: Not 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, LD2	Grade D2, LD2	Grade A, LD2, plus a linked heat detector and a standalone smoke alarm in each letting
Fire doors on bedrooms	Recommended	Required^*	Required
Fire door on the kitchen	Required	Required	Required
Protected escape route	Recommended	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 required	Not required	Not required

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)
* The council's own standard asks for less here, so we show the LACORS minimum. We never go below LACORS.

In the council's own words

The wording these requirements come from, quoted from the published documents.

Fire alarms

Council's own standard

“Low risk shared houses (shared kitchen facilities and joint tenancy agreement) ... Grade D LD2 fire alarm system with smoke detectors in escape route at all levels and heat alarm in kitchen (interlinked)”

Landlord's Guide to Amenities and Facilities for Houses in Multiple Occupation (Oxford City Council), 2019

Fire doors

Council's own standard

“Bedroom doors must be solid and close fitting ... Bedroom doors must be 30-minute fire doors with heat seals, smoke seals and self-closer1”

Landlord's Guide to Amenities and Facilities for Houses in Multiple Occupation (Oxford City Council), 2019

Escape route

Council's own standard

“Basement/cellars must have a ceiling that is 30-minute fire resistant ... = Best practice 30-minute protected escape route”

Landlord's Guide to Amenities and Facilities for Houses in Multiple Occupation (Oxford City Council), 2019

Kitchen heat detector

LACORS national guide

“additional interlinked heat alarm with integral battery back-up located in the kitchen”

LACORS Housing - Fire Safety: guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing, July 2008

Emergency lighting

Council's own standard

“Emergency lighting is not normally required in small, low risk HMOs. Where the escape route is long or complicated or there is no effective borrowed light then emergency lighting is required.”

Landlord's Guide to Amenities and Facilities for Houses in Multiple Occupation (Oxford City Council), 2019

Fire extinguishers

Council's own standard

“Fire extinguishers are no longer asked for. If landlords wish to provide extinguishers, then tenants must be trained in use of equipment and the landlord must service them annually.”

Landlord's Guide to Amenities and Facilities for Houses in Multiple Occupation (Oxford City Council), 2019

Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it.

Not in Oxford?

HMO fire risk assessment in Oxford →LACORS fire safety guide for HMOs →Every council's HMO fire safety standard →

Common questions

Do I need a fire risk assessment for a Oxford HMO licence?

The council lists a written fire risk assessment as one of the documents you send with your HMO licence application.

Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in Oxford?

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 fire safety standard does Oxford use for HMOs?

Oxford publishes "Landlord's Guide to Amenities and Facilities for Houses in Multiple Occupation (Oxford City Council)" (2019). Like most councils, it builds on the national LACORS guide.

What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in Oxford?

For a typical 3-storey shared house with 6 tenants, Oxford's rules work out at Grade D2, LD2. Your house may need something different depending on its layout, so check it properly with a fire risk assessment.

Check your Oxford HMO against the council's standard

Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on Oxford's rules. £45, no subscription.

Start my fire risk assessment