Fire safety in rented homes
Your landlord must:
provide smoke alarms on each floor of your home
make sure furniture and appliances they provide are safe
sort out repairs for faulty gas appliances, pipework or electric wiring
meet licensing rules if you live in a house in multiple occupation (HMO)
Gas safety
Faulty gas appliances or pipework in your home can cause gas leaks, fire risks and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Contact your landlord if you're worried about gas safety in your home.
Electrical safety
Electricity is a major cause of accidental fires at home.
Things to look out for include:
damaged wiring
sockets that do not work, have burn marks or feel hot
loose plugs or torn cables on electrical appliances provided by the landlord
Contact your landlord if you're worried about electrical safety in your home.
Furniture safety
If your landlord provides upholstered furniture it must have a label to show that it meets fire safety standards.
For example:
sofas
cushions
mattresses
This applies to both new and second hand furniture made after 1950.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Councils, housing associations and private landlords must:
provide smoke alarms on each floor of your home
check that the alarms are working on the first day of your tenancy
install carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with appliances that burn fuel, for example, a gas boiler or a wood burning stove
Carbon monoxide alarms are not needed in rooms with only a gas cooker.
You should let your landlord into to your home if they want to install or replace alarms. This should be at a time that suits you.
Testing and fixing alarms
You should:
test the alarms each month
replace the batteries if they do not work
Tell your landlord if you cannot replace the batteries or if the alarms still do not work. Your landlord must repair or replace faulty alarms.
If your landlord will not fix or install alarms
You can complain to the council if a private landlord will not fix or install alarms.
The council can order your landlord to fit and test alarms within 28 days. They could fine your landlord and fit the alarms themselves if needed.
These rules do not apply to lodgers and some student halls of residence.
Fire safety in shared homes and HMOs
You live in an house in multiple occupation (HMO) if:
at least 2 other people live with you
you share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet with someone who is not your relative or partner
Your landlord has extra fire safety responsibilities if your home needs a licence from the council. This includes all HMOs with 5 or more people living there and some smaller HMOs.
A licensed HMO landlord must make sure there are:
clear routes to escape from a fire
working smoke alarms on each floor
The council can also tell HMO landlords to put in fire doors, fire extinguishers or fire blankets.
Fire safety in blocks of flats
The building owner must normally give you information about what to do if you spot a fire and why fire doors are important.
In a high rise block of flats, they must also:
check lifts and fire doors, fire and smoke detectors regularly
install clear signs that show the floor and flat numbers
share all relevant information with the local fire service
Complain to the council about fire safety
Ask your council for help if your landlord will not deal with fire risks in your home.
The council's environmental health team can check the property. They can take action if your home is unsafe.
Help with housing after a fire
You can ask for emergency housing from the council if you are made homeless by a fire.
Find out more about housing help after a fire.
Last updated: 8 January 2025