Fire Safety Regulation Updates

From 1st October 2022, the government’s newest round of fire safety legislation for rental properties comes into effect. With updates to the current laws having been in the works for some time, the updated regulations contain some subtle but significant changes for landlords with properties in the private rented sector.

The full legislation is available on the government’s website, though the guidance issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities covers the most common questions and situations.

The new regulations mean: 

• all landlords must ensure a carbon monoxide alarm is provided in any room used as living accommodation which contains a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers). 

• all landlords will be legally obligated to ensure smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are repaired or replaced once they are informed and the alarms are found to be faulty. 

There is no transitional period after 1st October 2022 and any landlord found to be in breach could be fined up to £5,000.

If you have questions about what the new regulations mean for your rental property, feel free to book a quick call with us.