Holiday Let Fire Safety Compliance: What Owners Must Know

Fire safety is one of the most important — and most frequently misunderstood — areas of holiday let compliance. Unlike long-term rental properties, where the obligations have been clearly codified for many years, the rules for holiday lets sit across several pieces of legislation and guidance, which can make them harder to navigate. This guide sets out the key requirements clearly, so you understand what is expected and can ensure your property is properly protected.

The Legal Framework: Why Holiday Lets Are Different

Holiday lets are classified as "short-term accommodation" rather than residential property. This means they are subject to different legislation. Specifically, properties that accommodate paying guests — including holiday lets — may fall within the scope of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the FSO), which applies to non-domestic premises and premises used by paying guests.

The practical effect of this is that holiday let owners have a duty to conduct a fire risk assessment for their property, implement appropriate fire safety measures based on that assessment, and keep a written record of the assessment and any actions taken. This duty sits with the "responsible person" — which in most cases means the property owner or their appointed management agent.

The Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Building Safety Act 2022 have further strengthened enforcement powers, making it more important than ever that owners take their obligations seriously.

Fire Risk Assessments

A fire risk assessment is not a document you can simply download and sign. It must be specific to your property and must be carried out by a competent person — either you, if you have sufficient knowledge of fire safety, or a qualified fire risk assessor.

The assessment should identify potential fire hazards in the property (sources of ignition, fuel, and oxygen), assess who is at risk (including guests who may be unfamiliar with the property layout), evaluate the adequacy of existing fire safety measures, and produce an action plan for any shortcomings found.

The assessment should be reviewed annually and updated whenever significant changes are made to the property — a new layout, a wood-burning stove installation, a change in the type of guests typically accommodated (for example, if you begin accepting larger groups).

Properly prepared properties protect both guests and owners — fire safety is a core part of responsible holiday let management

Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

The requirement for smoke alarms in holiday lets has been strengthened significantly in recent years. As of 1 October 2022, the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 now require:

Smoke alarms must be fitted on every storey of the property. They should be interlinked where possible so that when one sounds, they all sound — giving guests the maximum warning time.

Carbon monoxide (CO) alarms must be installed in any room that contains a fixed combustion appliance — this includes gas boilers, gas fires, wood-burning stoves, open fireplaces, and oil-fired boilers. Many older holiday lets still lack adequate CO detection in rooms with boilers or log burners; this is a priority item to address.

Both smoke alarms and CO detectors should be tested before each new guest arrival. This is a task that should be embedded in your changeover checklist, carried out by whoever prepares the property for guests. If you work with a management company, this should be a standard part of the changeover protocol.

Furniture and Furnishings Regulations

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988 require that all upholstered furniture provided in a holiday let meets specific fire resistance standards. This applies to sofas, armchairs, beds, headboards, sofa beds, cushions, and seat pads.

Compliant furniture carries a label showing a permanent label or a display label confirming it meets the regulations. The label is typically a small swing tag or sewn-in label. Furniture without this labelling — which often includes older or second-hand pieces — may not be compliant and should be removed.

This is one of the most commonly overlooked compliance areas in holiday lets. If your property was furnished with items inherited from a family home, or if furniture was purchased from a marketplace or auction without clear provenance, it is worth reviewing carefully.

Escape Routes and Fire Fighting Equipment

Every sleeping room in your property should have a means of escape that does not require passing through a room where a fire might originate. In practice, this usually means either a door that leads to a staircase or exit, or a window from which an occupier could escape in an emergency.

Escape routes must be kept clear at all times — furniture, stored items, or locked doors that obstruct the escape path are a compliance failure. If a window is the primary means of escape from a bedroom, check that it can be opened fully and that the drop to the ground is not excessive.

Kitchens should have a suitable fire extinguisher (typically a CO2 or powder type) and a fire blanket. Guests should be made aware of their location — a note in your property welcome pack or a clear label on the inside of a kitchen cupboard works well.

Open Fires, Wood Burners, and Hot Tubs

These features are guest favourites — and fire safety hotspots. If your property has an open fire or wood-burning stove, the chimney or flue should be swept at least once a year (and potentially more frequently if used heavily). Sweeping certificates should be kept on file.

Clear written instructions for guests on the safe use of wood burners and open fires should be included in your welcome information. Common sense guidelines — don't leave fires unattended, use only the supplied fireguard, ensure the fire is fully extinguished before leaving the property or going to bed — go a long way. A spark guard is a sensible addition if you don't already have one.

Hot tubs carry their own set of considerations: electrical safety, RCD protection, water hygiene, and clear instructions for safe use. If your property has a hot tub, the electrical supply should be installed and periodically inspected by a qualified electrician, and the water should be treated and tested on a defined schedule.

Your Fire Safety Checklist

Use this checklist as a practical starting point. It is not exhaustive and does not replace a professional fire risk assessment.

How Professional Management Helps

One of the benefits of working with a professional management company is that fire safety checks become embedded in the operational rhythm of the property rather than left to the owner to remember. At Full Bed Hosts, our changeover process includes smoke alarm and CO detector testing as standard. We maintain a record of when checks were last carried out and flag when certificates are approaching their renewal date.

We also support owners in coordinating with qualified contractors for fire risk assessments, electrical inspections, gas safety checks, and chimney sweeping — keeping the compliance picture current without the owner needing to manage each appointment directly. Our full management service is designed to give owners confidence that their property is operating safely and legally.

If you have questions about the compliance position of your specific property, get in touch. We're happy to talk through what needs to be in place.