HMO fire risk assessment
Fire risk assessments for Southampton HMOs.
Every Southampton HMO needs a written fire risk assessment. Do yours online to BS 9792:2025, and see what Southampton's own fire safety rules mean for your house.
Skip the £200–£500 assessor bill. Built on the guidance councils use, for £45.
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Written by Bradley, Founder of FRASafeCouncil rules last checked 14 October 2026How we check →
South East
Southampton's HMO fire safety rules
Southampton publishes its own HMO fire safety standard, "Guidance on Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)" (V7, 2025). FRASafe's assessment follows BS 9792:2025 and LACORS. Below is what Southampton's rules ask for in a typical house, so you know what to expect.
- Assessment for the licence
- Not stated by the council
- Who can carry it out
- No rule on who writes it
- Last checked
- 14 October 2026
Running an HMO in Southampton
The local rules and contacts that sit alongside your fire risk assessment, each taken from the council's or fire service's own website.
- Fire and rescue service
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service covers Southampton.
Source: hantsfire.gov.uk- Additional licensing
Southampton runs additional licensing in nine wards (Bargate, Banister and Polygon, Bassett, Bevois, Freemantle, Millbrook, Portswood, Shirley, and Swaythling), from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2030, so smaller HMOs there need a licence too, not only those big enough for a mandatory licence.
Source: southampton.gov.ukShow the official wording
“Additional licensing scheme – Five years from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2030”
- Planning
Turning a family home into a small HMO needs planning permission in the whole city (an Article 4 direction, in force since 23 March 2012).
Source: southampton.gov.ukShow the official wording
“To confirm that the introduction of an Article 4(1) on a City wide basis to withdraw the permitted development rights to convert a dwellinghouse (C3) to a House in Multiple Occupation (C4) is appropriate from the effective date of 23rd March 2012.”
- Licence fee
A new HMO licence from Southampton costs £953 if you apply on time with a complete application (£300 at stage one and £653 at stage two), from 1 October 2025.
Source: southampton.gov.ukShow the official wording
“Standard fee for timely & compliant applications £300 £653 £953”
Applying for or renewing your Southampton HMO licence? Fire safety law says your HMO needs a written fire risk assessment, whatever the licence form asks.
Get my fire risk assessmentWorked example
What your Southampton fire risk assessment will check
A typical 3-storey shared house with 6 tenants, run through Southampton's rules. Each item shows the wording it comes from, and what your action plan says if the house is missing it. Your own house may need more or less, which is what the assessment works out.
Fire alarm
RequiredA linked fire alarm system (Grade D2, LD3)
“As a minimum, all HMOs must be provided with mains wired smoke detectors on all floors, located in the escape route and any communal living room and mains wired heat detectors located in all rooms containing cooking facilities. All detectors must be interlinked to sound simultaneously.”
If it's missing: High priority in your action plan
The fire alarm is Grade F. This house needs a Grade D2 system with LD3 coverage. Have a qualified alarm engineer upgrade it to BS 5839-6. Required by LACORS Housing - Fire Safety: guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing (July 2008).
Fire doors
RequiredFire doors with self-closers on every bedroom and the kitchen
“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”
If it's missing: High priority in your action plan
Not every bedroom door is a fire door with a self-closer. Fit FD30 fire doors with self-closers to all bedrooms. Required by LACORS Housing - Fire Safety: guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing (July 2008).
Escape route
RequiredA protected escape route, with the hall and stairs giving 30 minutes' fire resistance
“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”
If it's missing: High priority in your action plan
The hallway and stairs are not confirmed as a 30-minute protected route. Make good any holes or open-plan gaps so walls and ceilings give 30 minutes' fire resistance. Required by LACORS Housing - Fire Safety: guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing (July 2008).
Kitchen heat detector
RequiredA linked heat detector in the kitchen
“additional interlinked heat alarm with integral battery back-up located in the kitchen”
If it's missing: High priority in your action plan
Not every kitchen has a linked heat alarm. Fit an interlinked heat alarm in each kitchen. Required by LACORS Housing - Fire Safety: guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing (July 2008).
Emergency lighting
Not needed hereNot needed in this example house
“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”
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it.
How it works
From Blank Screen to Finished Report in 35 Minutes
Produce a BS 9792:2025 HMO fire risk assessment, checked against the LACORS housing fire safety guide that most councils use.
You do not need to be a fire-safety expert. FRASafe turns the legal requirements into plain-English questions and builds the report for you.
Complete the assessment
Answer structured questions covering fire hazards, means of escape, fire detection, fire doors, and more, mapped to BS 9792:2025 and the RRO 2005. Progress saved automatically.
Review findings & action plan
FRASafe generates a prioritised action plan with risk ratings for every finding. Review and sign your declarations before generating the report.
Download your PDF report
For £45, download your finished fire risk assessment PDF, laid out for your licence application.
Real reviews
What HMO landlords say
“I manage three HMOs. An assessor quoted £350 each, over £1,000. I did all three with FRASafe in an afternoon for £135.”
“I was required to undergo a fire risk assessment as part of my HMO application. I found the Frasafe online form easy to complete and upload information to produce a Fire Risk Assessment that was relevant to my property. The price point of £45 was affordable, making Frasafe the right choice for my needs as a busy Landlord.”
“Super smooth process for getting my fire safety report for my AirBNB property. Will be using again.”
Free tool
How fire-safe is your HMO?
Take the free 60-second fire safety check and get an instant Red, Amber or Green score, plus the things to fix first. No obligation.
Simple pricing
No subscription. No hidden fees. Pay once per report.
£200–£500 professional assessor
- Full BS 9792:2025 questionnaire
- Works offline on-site
- PDF fire risk assessment in your name
- Built on the LACORS fire safety guide
- Lifetime access to your report
- Annual review reminder
One-off payment, taken securely at checkout.
Rejected report? Full refund.
If your council rejects your FRASafe report because of its format or the standard it is written to, send us their reason in writing within 30 days and we will refund your £45 in full. You take no risk. This does not apply if you went ahead after we told you your council requires a qualified assessor.
Common questions
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