West Midlands
Worcester HMO fire safety requirements
Worcester publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "Standards, Conditions & Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) (Worcester City Council)" (Version 7, approved 15 March 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?
Standards, Conditions & Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) (Worcester City Council)
Published Version 7, approved 15 March 2024.
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 Worcester 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, 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
- Required
3-storey shared house, 6 tenants
- Fire alarm system
- Grade D2, 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
- Required
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
- Required
- Fire blanket in the kitchen
- Required
- Fire extinguishers
- Required
| 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, plus a linked smoke alarm in each letting | Grade D2, 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 | Required | Required |
| Fire blanket in the kitchen | Required | Required | Required |
| Fire extinguishers | Required | Required | Required |
- 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)
In the council's own words
The wording these requirements come from, quoted from the published documents.
Fire alarms
Council's own standard
“The property must be fitted with an integrated, hard wired fire detection system with battery backup in accordance with BS5839. ... There should be integrated and audible smoke detectors in hallways, landings, living rooms, dining rooms, cellars, bedsitting rooms, and bedrooms, as well as heat detectors in kitchens.”
Fire doors
Council's own standard
“Fire doors must be fitted to all bedrooms as well as kitchens, living and dining rooms, and any other rooms/cupboards with combustible materials that open up onto the protected fire escape route.”
Escape route
Council's own standard
“All properties must have a protected fire escape route where all occupants are able to escape safely in the event of a fire. All floors and walls on the protected fire escape routes and within all sleeping rooms must be constructed of minimum 30-minute fire resisting materials.”
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
“All properties of three stories or above must install an emergency lighting system to British Standard 5266 and LACORS guidance. One or two storey HMOs need to refer to the LACORs guidance or as identified by the risk assessment.”
Fire extinguishers
Council's own standard
“1x 6ltr water or foam fire extinguisher should be securely fitted in a communal area of each storey. There must also be 1x small mixed use fire extinguisher (preferably CO2) correctly installed in kitchens, including ones in bedrooms.”
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it.
Common questions
Do I need a fire risk assessment for a Worcester HMO licence?
Can I do my own HMO fire risk assessment in Worcester?
Which fire safety standard does Worcester use for HMOs?
What fire alarm does a 3-storey shared house need in Worcester?
Check your Worcester HMO against the council's standard
Answer plain-English questions about your house and get a fire risk assessment report built on Worcester's rules. £45, no subscription.