South East
Rushmoor HMO fire safety requirements
Rushmoor publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "What you need to know about owning or managing Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in Rushmoor" (September 2019).
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 "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?
What you need to know about owning or managing Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in Rushmoor
Published 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 Rushmoor 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
- Not required
- Fire door on the kitchen
- Not 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 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
- Recommended
3-storey bedsits with cooking in rooms, 6 tenants
- Fire alarm system
- Grade A, LD1, 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, LD2 | Grade D1, LD2 | Grade A, LD1, plus a linked heat detector and a standalone smoke alarm in each letting |
| Fire doors on bedrooms | Not required | Required* | Required |
| Fire door on the kitchen | Not 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 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)
- LD1 (alarms in all rooms and on the escape route)
- * 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
“Shared house Grade D1, LD2(D) up to three storeys ... Shared house Grade D1, LD1(J) four storeys or more ... All bedsits Grade D1, LD2(D) ... Bedsits Grade A, LD1(J) (N) three storeys system ... Additional non-interlinked smoke alarm with integral battery back-up in each bedsit”
Fire doors
Council's own standard
“No fire doors are ... fire doors to all risk ... rooms including kitchens”
Escape route
Council's own standard
“A 30-minute ... protected escape ... route is required to ... No fire doors are”
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
“There is no ... requirement for ... emergency lighting ... A system of ... emergency lighting ... is required in a ... shared house if the ... escape route is long”
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 Rushmoor HMO licence?
Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in Rushmoor?
Which fire safety standard does Rushmoor use for HMOs?
What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in Rushmoor?
Check your Rushmoor HMO against the council's standard
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on Rushmoor's rules. £45, no subscription.