Fire Safety Requirements for Holiday Lets – A Reminder for Property Owners

When you're busy managing bookings, maintaining your property and looking after guests, it's easy for regulatory changes to slip down the priority list. However, fire safety remains one of the most important responsibilities for anyone letting a holiday home.

Although the latest guidance has now been in place for some time, we're still speaking to owners who aren't aware of some of the key changes. We thought it would therefore be useful to highlight two of the most significant requirements and point you towards the official guidance.

Smoke Alarms in Bedrooms

One of the most notable changes introduced through the updated guidance is the expectation that smoke alarms are provided inside every guest bedroom, in addition to other appropriate fire detection throughout the property.

This reflects the importance of providing the earliest possible warning to sleeping guests and is one of the areas owners should review when assessing their property's fire safety arrangements.

Written Fire Risk Assessments

Another important requirement is the need for a written Fire Risk Assessment.

Rather than being treated as a one-off exercise, the assessment should be viewed as a working document that is reviewed at least annually, or sooner if significant changes are made to the property. This could include alterations to the layout, changes to furnishings, the installation of new heating appliances, or any other work that may affect fire safety.

Regular reviews help ensure your assessment continues to reflect the property as it is today, rather than how it looked when it was first completed.

Refer to the Official Guidance

Fire safety requirements can vary depending on the type, size and layout of your property. For that reason, rather than relying on summaries or second-hand advice, we always recommend referring to the official Home Office guidance, which explains the current requirements in detail and includes practical examples to help owners understand their responsibilities.

The current Home Office guidance for small paying guest accommodation can be found here:

Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire (Home Office)

We're Here to Keep You Informed

At Cornish Cottages, we regularly monitor developments that affect holiday home owners and share updates that we think may be helpful. While we're always happy to make owners aware of changes and direct them towards official guidance, responsibility for ensuring a property complies with current fire safety legislation rests with the property owner.

If you're unsure whether your property information is up to date, or you'd like pointing towards the relevant guidance, please don't hesitate to get in touch. We're always happy to help where we can.

📞 01326 240 333

✉ Enquiries@CornishCottages.co.uk

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