What is included in fire safety works?
Detection, fire doors, protected routes and fire stopping. Choose a service for the detail, the rules in each nation and guide prices.
HMO fire safety upgrades
HMO fire safety upgrades bring a shared house up to the fire standard its size and layout need. That usually means an interlinked fire alarm, fire doors with closers to rooms off the escape route, fire-resisting walls and ceilings around the stair, fire stopping, and emergency lighting in larger houses, all set by a fire risk assessment.
Fire alarm and detection systems
An HMO fire alarm is an interlinked system of smoke and heat detectors that sounds everywhere in the house when one detector triggers. Smaller HMOs usually have mains-wired interlinked alarms with battery back-up; larger ones often need a panel-based system. The grade and coverage follow the fire risk assessment.
Fire doors
An HMO fire door is a certified door set, usually rated FD30S, that holds back fire and smoke for about 30 minutes when closed. It needs the right frame, intumescent strips, smoke seals, three hinges and a self-closer, and it only works if it is fitted to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Escape routes, emergency lighting and fire stopping
A protected escape route is the stair, landing and hall that lets everyone get out if there is a fire. In an HMO it is usually lined with fire-resisting materials, kept free of fire risks, fitted with fire doors, fire stopped where pipes and cables pass through, and lit by emergency lighting in larger houses.
Guide prices
| Item | UK typical | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides) | £800 – £2,000 | house |
| Panel alarm system (Grade A type), larger HMO | £1,750 – £4,500 | house |
| FD30S fire door leaf into an existing frame, with seals, closer and hinges, fitted | £300 – £600 | door |
| New FD30S fire doorset with frame, fitted | £600 – £1,300 | door |
| Protected route upgrades: fire-resisting linings, fire stopping, lighting (three-storey house, our estimate) | £2,000 – £6,000 | house |
| Emergency light fitting, installed (our estimate) | £150 – £350 | fitting |
Questions
What fire safety does an HMO legally need?
The law asks for the house to be reasonably safe, with suitable fire precautions for its size and layout. The detail usually comes from a fire risk assessment and council guidance, so the right answer for a three-storey seven-bed house is very different from a two-storey three-bed one.
What grade of fire alarm does an HMO need?
There is no single answer in law. Guidance links the grade and coverage to the size of the house and the risk, and your fire risk assessment and council will set it. We install to that specification.
What is an FD30S door?
A fire door tested to resist fire for about 30 minutes, with smoke seals (the S). It needs the right frame and fitting to work.
Does every HMO need emergency lighting?
Not every one. Guidance tends to expect it where the escape route is long, complex or has no borrowed light, which is more common in larger houses.