HMO fire safety upgrades across Scottish Borders

In short: HMO fire safety upgrades bring a shared house up to the fire standard its size and layout need. We carry this out across Scottish Borders, priced against the HMO rules for Scotland and the council’s own standards.

Nation: Scotland
Pricing region: Scotland
Postcode areas: TD, EH, ML
Main towns: Hawick

What do HMO fire safety upgrades in Scottish Borders involve?

Commissioning certificates and a handover pack
Fire doors with closers and seals
Thumb-turn locks on exit doors
Fire stopping of service holes
Works priced against your fire risk assessment
Interlinked smoke and heat detection

Which rules apply in Scottish Borders?

Councils set HMO fire standards through licence conditions, often including emergency lighting in larger HMOs.
Landlords must also be on the Scottish landlord register, renewed every 3 years.
A building warrant may be needed for a change of use or for installing a fire alarm system; check with the council’s building standards service.

Scottish councils set their own HMO licence standards and planning policies. Every HMO needs a licence, so check the council’s standards before you design the layout.

How much do HMO fire safety upgrades cost in Scottish Borders?

Regional adjustment for Scotland. Planning budgets: see our prices page.
Item	UK typical	Local guide	Per
Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides)	£800 – £2,000	£760 – £1,900	house
Panel alarm system (Grade A type), larger HMO	£1,750 – £4,500	£1,650 – £4,300	house
FD30S fire door leaf into an existing frame, with seals, closer and hinges, fitted	£300 – £600	£280 – £570	door
New FD30S fire doorset with frame, fitted	£600 – £1,300	£570 – £1,250	door
Protected route upgrades: fire-resisting linings, fire stopping, lighting (three-storey house, our estimate)	£2,000 – £6,000	£1,900 – £5,700	house

Typical time on site: 3–10 working days. For a figure for your house, try the guide-price tool.

HMO fire safety upgrades by town in Scottish Borders

Hawick

Questions about HMO fire safety upgrades in Scottish Borders

Can you upgrade existing doors?

Sometimes, if the door and frame are sound. Often a certified fire door set is the cheaper and more reliable option.

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.

Do you carry out HMO fire safety upgrades across Scottish Borders?

Yes, across the whole of Scottish Borders, including Hawick.

Who licenses HMOs in Scottish Borders?

Scottish Borders council licenses HMOs in its area. Every HMO in Scotland needs a licence.