East Midlands
West Northamptonshire HMO fire safety requirements
West Northamptonshire publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "Landlord's Guide to Amenities and Facilities for Houses in Multiple Occupation (Northampton and Daventry HMO Guide, West Northamptonshire Council)" (2018 (revised February 2024)).
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 (Northampton and Daventry HMO Guide, West Northamptonshire Council)
Published 2018 (revised February 2024).
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 West Northamptonshire 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
- Not required
- Fire door on the kitchen
- Required
- Protected escape route
- Not required
- Heat detector in the kitchen
- Required
- Emergency lighting
- Not required
- Fire blanket in the kitchen
- Required
- Fire extinguishers
- Not advised
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 advised
3-storey bedsits with cooking in rooms, 6 tenants
- Fire alarm system
- Grade A, LD1, 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
- Not required
- Fire blanket in the kitchen
- Required
- Fire extinguishers
- Not advised
| 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, LD1, plus a linked heat detector and a linked smoke alarm in each letting* |
| Fire doors on bedrooms | Not required | Required* | Required |
| Fire door on the kitchen | 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 | Not advised | Not advised | Not advised |
- 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)
- 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
“Grade D, LD2 interlinked fire alarm system with smoke ... alarms in escape routes at all levels and heat alarm in the ... Grade D, LD1 system consisting of mains wired, ... interlinked smoke alarms in escape route at all levels, in ... all letting rooms, living/dining rooms and basements. ... Mains wired, interlinked heat alarm in kitchen or any room”
Fire doors
Council's own standard
“Bedroom doors must be solid, in good repair with no gaps ... Bedroom doors must be 30 minute fire doors with ... intumescent strips but no smoke seals. ... Doors to all risk rooms including letting rooms, ... living/dining rooms, kitchens and basements must be 30 ... minute fire doors with intumescent strips, smoke seals”
Escape route
Council's own standard
“30 minute protected escape route ... 30 minute protected escape route direct from all risk ... rooms to a place of ultimate safety without passing”
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
Council's own standard
“The Fire Service discourage the provision of fire extinguishers except in premises with full time on-site staff who are trained in their use.”
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it.
Not in West Northamptonshire?
Common questions
Do I need a fire risk assessment for a West Northamptonshire HMO licence?
Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in West Northamptonshire?
Which fire safety standard does West Northamptonshire use for HMOs?
What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in West Northamptonshire?
Check your West Northamptonshire HMO against the council's standard
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on West Northamptonshire's rules. £45, no subscription.