Fire Safety in Existing Housing
Domestic Property in England and Wales is exempt from the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and existing housing is therefore not subject to this legislation. However, a landlord may wish to rent their property to certain groups and consequently the premises need a licence which requires the premises to be safe in the event of a fire. Others may simply wish to bring their property up to an acceptable fire safety standard.
Owners of existing domestic properties could use Approved Document Part B Fire Safety but this could be too onerous. To account for this, the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACoRS) has produced a guide ‘Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing‘. This guide has been developed in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Chief Fire Officers Association, the National HMO Network, the National Landlord Association, and Communities and Local Government.
Please note: This article was written prior to changes in the Housing (Scotland) Act 1997 that will require smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide detection in homes in Scotland from February 2022.
Categories:Fire Safety at Home
April 1, 2011[Last updated: February 18, 2021]
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