East of England
South Cambridgeshire HMO fire safety requirements
South Cambridgeshire publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "Fire Safety Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation of up to two storeys, and of three or four storeys" (Revised April 2023).
Is a fire risk assessment needed for the licence?
Not stated by the council
We could not find the council saying whether it wants to see your fire risk assessment. Fire safety law still says the landlord of an HMO must have 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?
Fire Safety Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation of up to two storeys, and of three or four storeys
Published Revised April 2023.
Read the council's document →When did we last check?
13 October 2026
We re-check every council's documents each month and update this page when they change.
What South Cambridgeshire 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
- Recommended
- 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, LD2, plus a linked heat detector 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, LD2, plus a linked heat detector in each letting* |
| Fire doors on bedrooms | Not required | Required | Required |
| Fire door on the kitchen | Recommended | 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)
- * 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 of Traditional Construction ... Fire detection and alarm Grade D1; LD2 system ... Bedsit House in Multiple Occupation of Traditional Construction”
Fire doors
LACORS national guide
“30-minute protected route note 8, is required, including 30-minute fire-resisting construction and FD30 doors to all risk rooms (without smoke seals ... 30-minute fire-resisting construction and FD30S doors to all risk rooms. Travel distance must not be excessive”
Escape route
LACORS national guide
“No requirement for full 30-minute protected route note 7, but the escape route should have sound, traditional construction and should not pass through risk rooms ... 30-minute protected route note 8, is required, including 30-minute fire-resisting construction”
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.”
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it.
Not in South Cambridgeshire?
Common questions
Do I need a fire risk assessment for a South Cambridgeshire HMO licence?
Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in South Cambridgeshire?
Which fire safety standard does South Cambridgeshire use for HMOs?
What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in South Cambridgeshire?
Check your South Cambridgeshire HMO against the council's standard
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on South Cambridgeshire's rules. £45, no subscription.