
Fire Doors are required by law to be installed in Houses of Multiple Occupancy it is the responsibility of the Landlord but depending on the contract it may be up to the Agent to ensure that the appropriate legislation is followed. Below is an explanation of what is considered a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) and a Tenants Checklist for Fire Doors in Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO).
An HMO is a house or a flat, that is:
- occupied by 3 or more tenants forming 2 or more households* who share – or the building lacks – a necessary amenity such as cooking facilities, bathroom or toilet;
- occupied by more than one household (as above) and is a converted building but is not entirely self-contained flats (whether or not some amenities are shared or lacking);
- converted into self-contained flats, but does not meet the requirements of the 1991 Building Regulations, and at least 1/3 of the flats are occupied under short tenancies.
And is ‘occupied’ by more than one household*:
- as their only or main residence; or,
- as a refuge by persons escaping domestic violence; or,
- during term time by students; or,
- for some other purpose that is prescribed in regulations.
*A household is defined as a family (this includes single persons and couples) and their relatives, foster children and any domestic staff. Note that under this legislation, a property shared by a group of 3 or more friends is classed as an HMO.
Since 6 April 2006 mandatory licensing has applied to HMOs that:
- are 3 or more storeys high, and
- have 5 or more occupants. Both criteria must apply for the property to require a mandatory licence. These HMOs may be bedsits, shared houses, or buildings with a mixture of bedsits and self-contained flats.
Below is a 2 page document outlining some of the requirements for Fire Doors in Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) – Factsheet and checklist for Tenants.
[pdf-embedder url=”https://andrewgoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/HMO-Fact-Sheet-FINAL.pdf”]