Do I Need a Fire Risk Assessment for My Holiday Let?

Fire Safety Guide

In almost every case, yes. If you let a property to paying guests, even for a few weeks a year, fire safety law treats you as responsible for keeping people safe, and that starts with a fire risk assessment.

The Short Answer

If you let out a holiday home, cottage, Airbnb or any other self-catering property to paying guests, you are the "Responsible Person" under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. That law places a legal duty on you to carry out a fire risk assessment and to act on what it finds. It applies however small the property is and however few weeks a year you let it.

What Changed in October 2023

Until recently, the smallest businesses did not have to write their fire risk assessment down. That exemption has gone. Under Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022, which came into force on 1 October 2023, every Responsible Person must now record their completed fire risk assessment in full, no matter how small the premises. You also have to record who the Responsible Person is and your fire safety arrangements.

Can I Do It Myself?

You can, provided you are confident you can identify the fire hazards in your property and decide whether your precautions are adequate. The Government's own guide, "Making your small paying-guest accommodation safe from fire", is written for exactly this situation and confirms that the responsible person can often carry out the assessment themselves for a simple, small property.

Small paying-guest accommodation generally means no more than around 10 guests and no more than two storeys (three where there is a basement). If your property is larger or more complex, has more floors, or you simply are not confident, it is sensible to use a competent fire risk assessor instead.

What a Fire Risk Assessment Covers

A good holiday let fire risk assessment works through the things that actually cause harm in a home:

• Smoke and heat alarms, and carbon monoxide alarms where there is a fuel-burning appliance;
• Escape routes and final exits, and whether guests can get out easily, including in the dark;
• Fire doors and how the layout holds back fire and smoke;
• Electrical safety, heating, cooking and any open fire or wood burner;
• Housekeeping, and higher-risk features such as a hot tub, sauna or LPG;
• The information you give guests so they know what to do if a fire starts.

What Happens If You Do Not Have One

Not having a fire risk assessment is a breach of fire safety law. It can lead to enforcement action and, in serious cases, prosecution and fines. Just as important for most owners, many insurers and booking platforms now expect to see a current assessment, and being unable to produce one can affect a claim or a listing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this apply to a single Airbnb room in my own home?

If you take paying guests, fire safety law applies. The scale of what you need to do is proportionate to the risk, but the duty to assess and to keep people safe still applies.

How often should I review it?

Review your assessment regularly and whenever something changes, such as a refurbishment, a new appliance or a change in how the property is used. An annual review is a sensible default for most holiday lets.

Do I need a professional?

Not always. For a simple, small property you can carry it out yourself, ideally with a structured tool to make sure nothing is missed. For anything larger or more complex, use a competent assessor.