Fire Risk
You will need to complete a fire risk assessment for your property ahead of letting it. You as the property owner can carry out the fire risk assessment, or you can use a qualified fire consultant to do this to ensure the safety of your guests. Once you have considered the fire risks and who is at risk, you need to look at the practical things you can do to prevent a fire from happening and keeping people safe if there is.
- Provide smoke detectors: Make sure these are of good quality and installed on each floor of the property as a minimum. Have the batteries checked regularly or invest in a mains powered system.
- Create an emergency plan/fire action notice: Detail what guests need to do in the event of a fire, including procedures for a safe evacuation.
- Firefighting equipment: A multi-purpose extinguisher on each floor near the stairs and a fire blanket in the kitchen should be enough in most small premises. You will need to make sure that instructions on how to use them are clear, and that there is a warning to people not to tackle anything other than a very small fire. Evacuating the premises is always the safest thing to do.
For more detailed information on complying with the fire safety law for holiday lets and a downloadable fire risk assessment, click on one of the useful guides below:
Electrical Testing
It is also best practice to have all your appliances PAT tested once a year and whilst there is no legal requirement for a landlord to obtain and renew an Electrical Safety Certificate, it is however suggested having a property inspected by a qualified engineer, at least every five years, ensures electrical systems within the property are safe. Again we can help with arranging this for you.
Oil Safety Certificate
There is no legal requirement for holiday let owners to have an Oil Safety Certificate. But, for the safety of your guests, it’s highly recommended that you have all your oil appliances and equipment inspected by annually by an OFTEC Registered Technician. They will supply you with an Oil Installation Check form (OFTEC CD/12) which confirms that you have done your duty as an owner to make sure your property is safe and compliant.
Gas Safety Certificate
The HSE guidance on gas safety stipulates that all gas appliances are checked and signed off by a Gas Safe Engineer annually. A valid certificate should be left at the property for guests to see.
Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Carbon monoxide alarms are a cost effective and reliable way to provide guests with an advanced warning of any problems. Each room that has a gas appliance, oil appliance, or a solid fuel burner (log burner or open fire) must have an alarm installed.