North West
Sefton HMO fire safety requirements
Sefton publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "Guidance on standards for HMOs subject to Mandatory Licensing (with HMO Standards in Additional and Selective Licensing Areas)" (December 2020).
Is a fire risk assessment needed for the licence?
Yes, as a licence condition
You need a written fire risk assessment as a condition of the licence, and the council can ask to see it at any time.
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 standards for HMOs subject to Mandatory Licensing (with HMO Standards in Additional and Selective Licensing Areas)
Published December 2020.
Read the council's document →When did we last check?
12 October 2026
We re-check every council's documents each month and update this page when they change.
What Sefton 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, 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 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
- 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 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
- 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 D2, LD3 | Grade A, LD2, plus a linked smoke alarm in each letting | Grade A, LD2, plus a linked heat detector and a linked 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 | Required | Required |
| Fire blanket in the kitchen | Required | Required | Required |
| Fire extinguishers | Recommended | Recommended | Recommended |
- Grade D2 (mains alarms with a replaceable 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
“the following guidance specifically relates to Fire Precautions required in licensable HMO’s of 3 or more storeys. ... Provision of an automatic fire detection and alarm system conforming to BS5839: Part 6: 2019 with an LD2 level of coverage and installed to Grade A specification throughout the whole of the property. ... Ionisation type smoke detectors installed to each of the habitable rooms including bedrooms, common lounge and dining rooms. ... Ambient rate of rise Heat Detectors to BS 5445: Part 5 to all kitchen areas.”
Fire doors
Council's own standard
“The following general requirements will apply to all HMOs ... Doors situated on the means of escape and that open directly onto the protected route (i.e. flat entrance doors, bedsit/shared house accommodation doors, or other ‘risk’ rooms), must be to the FD30S fire resisting standard.”
Escape route
Council's own standard
“The following general requirements will apply to all HMOs ... A minimum of 30-minute fire resisting construction is required to all walls, floors ceilings, doors, glazing, etc, that surround the protected route.”
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
“the following guidance specifically relates to Fire Precautions required in licensable HMO’s of 3 or more storeys. ... Emergency lighting to be sufficient to enable persons to see their way out of the building in the event of failure of the general mains 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 Sefton HMO licence?
Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in Sefton?
Which fire safety standard does Sefton use for HMOs?
What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in Sefton?
Check your Sefton HMO against the council's standard
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on Sefton's rules. £45, no subscription.