North East
South Tyneside HMO fire safety requirements
South Tyneside publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "Landlords' Guide to Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation (South Tyneside Council)" (Undated (2025)).
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?
Landlords' Guide to Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation (South Tyneside Council)
Published Undated (2025).
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 South Tyneside 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 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
- 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 A, LD2, plus a linked smoke alarm in each letting | 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
“The detectors to be installed in escape route at all levels, in shared lounge and heat detector in shared kitchen(s) ... detectors to be installed in escape routes at all levels, in all bedrooms, lounge, dining room and any other high risk rooms, linked to a control panel with manual call points”
Fire doors
Council's own standard
“In most cases, fire doors are required to be fitted to bedrooms”
Escape route
Council's own standard
“Fire resisting materials must be on each part of the building on the protected route, which is the walls”
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
“Emergency escape lighting is required if the route is”
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 Tyneside?
Common questions
Do I need a fire risk assessment for a South Tyneside HMO licence?
Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in South Tyneside?
Which fire safety standard does South Tyneside use for HMOs?
What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in South Tyneside?
Check your South Tyneside HMO against the council's standard
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on South Tyneside's rules. £45, no subscription.