⚠ Emergency: If a fire alarm sounds in an HMO — leave your room, close the door, use the escape route, call 999 from outside.

Online Briefing — 11 March 2027, 18:30–19:30 GMT

HMO Fire Safety Briefing

A free 60-minute online briefing on fire safety requirements in houses in multiple occupation — for landlords, managing agents, and tenants. Covers the legal framework, alarm grades, fire doors, escape routes, and the responsibilities of the HMO landlord as responsible person under the RRO 2005.

Free to attend Online 60 minutes HMO landlords & agents

Why this briefing matters

HMOs are the highest-risk domestic fire environment in the UK — and enforcement activity against non-compliant landlords is increasing. Fire doors propped open, missing self-closers, and inadequate alarm grades are the most common enforcement findings. Most failures are straightforward to fix once you know what to look for.

Session agenda

18:30 Welcome and HMO fire risk overview — why HMOs are higher-risk
18:35 Legal framework: RRO 2005, Housing Act 2004, and mandatory HMO licensing conditions
18:45 Fire alarm grades: what Grade D LD2 means in practice for smaller HMOs
18:55 Fire doors in HMOs: FD30S requirement, self-closers, and common failures
19:05 Escape routes: what constitutes a protected escape route; obstruction enforcement
19:15 Fire risk assessment: the responsible person duty and what assessors inspect
19:20 Common enforcement notice categories for HMOs
19:25 Q&A
19:30 Close and resources

What you will leave with

  • A clear understanding of your legal duties as an HMO landlord under the RRO 2005
  • The correct alarm grade for your HMO type and size
  • An HMO fire door inspection checklist
  • A compliance audit checklist for escape routes and communal areas
  • Guidance on commissioning a fire risk assessment for your HMO

Pre-briefing reading

Our escape routes for HMOs guide is the primary background reading. Also review our fire door safety guide and our RRO 2005 entry.

Frequently asked questions

FAQ

Frequently asked questions