Landlords

Safety of landlord gifted oven and hob

The plastic leather of our sofa is peeling away. We have asked our landlord to replace it but they have refused, stating it is only minor wear and tear. Would a sofa in this condition still be compliant with any fire safety testing it had undergone or would the damage mean that is void? TIA!

I live in a house containing five flats. Each flat has two smoke detectors and one heat detector and a call point . These are all connected to a common control panel. Should this equipment , detector heads and control points, be inspected and tested every six months as well as routine weekly tests or is it sufficient to inspect half of the equipment every six months?

Why would a building inspector insist we installed a AOV Smoke ventilation system in a 3 floor building with 2 x 1 bedroom flats on the first floor and 1 x 2 bedroom flat on the second floor. Ground floor is commercial. We have been renovating the flats and have upgraded insulation / fire alarm systems / new FD30S fire doors / new windows / new electrics / new plumbing etc. They have agreed that there is no material change of use but insisted on an AOV Smoke Vent in an existing building located in a conservation area. I understand about AOV smoke ventilation in new builds or buildings with change of use - but didn't think that this would apply to an existing b…

Hello, may I please have some advice on the obligations and frequency of fire alarm testing within the communal areas of a small block of flats. Block was built 1860s, completely renovated 2 years ago with a new mixed grade fire alarm system professionally designed and installed. The building is purely residential. There are fours stories, one flat per floor plus lower ground floor flat with separate entrance. System category is Grade A L3/M in the communal hall - manual call points on each floor in the communal hallway and in the lower ground floor flat hallway. The four other flats have Grade D LD3 system. There are regular 6 monthly service inspections done and logged …

Was just after some advice. I’m a small electrical contractor. Ive been asked to submit a quote for fire detection and emergency lighting in communal areas. I’m ok with the emergency lighting but a bit unsure of the fire alarm requirements. The premises is domestic, old Victorian conversion with around 4 flats over 3 floors, not including basement. Am i right in thinking i need to install a grade A (LD2) system with heat detectors from this system in entrances of each flat? Also a grade D system in each flat (domestic smoke alarm mains and battery from flats own electrical installation? would appreciate any help or links to info. Thanks

Having recently had a fire door inspection in my small block of flats, remedial works have now been completed. The fire door to my flat was identified as having incorrect gaps and required repositioning. Intumescent pads were inserted under the hinges. Previously, the door closed tightly against the rebated steps in the door frame. They stand about 3mm proud of the frame. Moving the door away from the hinge side now means that the door has to slammed heavily to close and requires to be shoulder-charged from the outside to be opened. The managing agent and the contractor maintain that the door conforms to the standard required as the gaps are now within the specified tol…

Hi, I've read lots of the regulations and forums about this kind of thing but as my situation is very specific I thought I'd post here. Thank you in advance for any advice. Firstly, let me describe the situation and the current fire detection: I own a ground floor flat converted from a classic 2 storey terraced Victorian house - literally split in two horizontally to make two flats. The first floor flat owner and I both own a share of the freehold between us. Both flats are now rented on assured shorthold tenancies. The conversion was done in 1987 - so before the significant date of 1991. There is a small communal hallway inside the original exterior fr…

Thanks in advance! We have three bedrooms that open onto a landing with a single staircase down. we want to put an internal window in the wall of the smallest bedroom, to let light in the hallway. The window will look onto the staircase (so, it will be fixed but if it wasn’t and you jumped through it, you’d fall to the ground floor, through the stairwell). Does this internal window need to be fire-rated? And is there a limit to how big it can be/where it can be? We’re either going to go with a fixed long letterbox window along the top or a big round window, fixed too.

Hello I was just wondering. if I am replacing doors in a house with a loft conversion I know I need to have a fire door but do I need to fit self closing Perkos to them and the intumescent fire strips or does it just need to be a fire door.

I live in a converted block of flats (7 leasehold flats, mostly tenanted) three storeys high with a longstanding, fully working and regularly, professionally maintained and certificated central fire alarm system interlinked to heat and smoke detectors. When I wrote to my local authority about a completely unrelated fire safety matter, they told me that we are legally obliged to retrofit additional mains-powered, interlinked heat detectors in all 7 kitchens in the building owing to a change to BS 5839 Part 6 in 2019. I have since made enquiries and found it would cost an arm and a leg and the service charge fund is needed for other, more urgent things such a…

Hello all, just a very quick question, in blocks of flats of 3 storeys or more (but under 18m) i can't find anywhere that specifies the fire resistance requirements of the top floor ceiling, Table B4 states walls and load bearing structures, but not specifically ceilings. Anyone got any tips on where to confirm this please?

Hi Can anyone advise, my son has moved into a multiple occupancy 4 bedroom basement flat, the entrance door to the flat from the communal area is a glazed hardwood front door, the bedroom door are hollow core egg box doors. As far as I am aware the flat entrance door to the communal area is required to be fire rated, can anyone confirm if the bedroom doors in this type off ocomodation are required to be fire rated. I look forward to hearing from anyone who can advise.

Hello, I'd appreciate some assistance. I live in a 3 storey 17th century listed building converted into flats in the 70s. There are 8 flats, and then 2 commercial properties on the ground floor. 3 of the flats are positioned above the shops. there is a small communal lobby for the flats, off which there is a stair case for flats 1&2. the other 5 flats are accessed from an external staircase, they they use the lobby for post etc. No one has done anything regarding fire safety since conversion. We purchased our flat in 2022 and are finally pushing forward with sorting it. The FRA has suggested the LACORS guidelines of • Grade A: LD2 coverage in the…

Hello everyone, I recently went to start renting a flat but have decided against it in safety reasons. The main concern is that the front door of the flat is not a fire door despite leading onto a communal corridor with another flat and is badly fitted with big gaps around the edges. The attached photos show the gaps and the type of door. Can someone please confirm whether or not the door violates fire safety regulations. Thank you in advance.

My daughter is moving into a rented property in England - student household/MHO. There are no fire safety labels at all on the sofa, mattresses and bed/divan bases (these are not new items). When querying this, the estate agent sent an email simply saying that they all comply with fire regulations - even though their inventory marks them as not having labels. As a mother, I believe I have a warranted concern. Should I be asking the agency to secure 'proof' from the landlord that these items comply with fire safety regs? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Around 75% of fire doors fail the FDIS inspections. A new BMTrada Q mark certification door set installation has been quoted as costing £2600 plus VAT. There are around 30 fatalities per annum in flats/ maisonettes where fire is the primary cause (Are there any statistics as to how many of these were due to fire doors being below standard?) There are around 3 million flats. Assuming 75% of those flats failed FDIS inspections and were fitted with new fire doors the cost would be around £7 billion. The UK Health and Safety Executive states the cost to society of a fatal injury as being £1.8M. On that basis an investment of 7 billion would need to sa…

Three storey residential block, 3 apartments each floor. Construction 2008. There is a loft area with no detection and the rest of the building is covered with mains linked detectors communal areas only. As this is a three storey building should this have a fire alarm system installed to BS5839 Should this be tested weekly or monthly?

Hi, I have asked around and did not find anyone that could give me a clear answer, so I am trying here now in the hope that one of you experts can clarify this for me. I live in an apartment complex and every front door is a FD30 fire door. I think that if you change a fire door in a way that's not specified on the CF datasheet then the door loses its certification, but what I can't understand is if the insurance company could refuse a claim just on the base of that. For example if the changes to the door didn't affect the rating, and in a fire they could withstand 30 minutes, then can the insurance company just deny the claim because the certificate wasn't…

Hi, I am an electrical contractor that has been asked to test a fire alarm and emergency lighting system in a block of purpose built flats. The flats are purpose build, all have solid block walls, fire doors and concrete ceilings and floors. There is 3 storeys, ground, 1st and second floor each with 2 flats so 6 in total. Most systems I have installed in similar flats have either been category L1, L2 or a mixed system. Hovever this building has got mains detectors on the communal area, one Firex detector on each floor rather than a fire alarm system. Is this acceptable for the type of building, and if so how would you go about certifying it? 5839…

Hello We are opening a Hairdressing and a Beauty Salon over 3 floors Hairdressing on ground floor and Beauty Services on 1st and 2nd Floor. I need to know what kind of Fire / Smoke alarm will be required to meet British Standards. There is escape window in every room of 1st and 2nd Floor. There is also Fire Exit sign on every floor and non-maintained emergency light on landing / hallway of every floor.

Hi, what are the regulations (if any) regarding fire door locks/cylinder. My landlord changed the locks on my door from a good Kite mark 3* fire rated cylinder to one that is not fire safe and not BS approved either/no kite mark logo ( even online the specs do not list as fire safe or BS approved) I have been trying to tell them they need to replace it like for like as this will likely go against me with my insurance but they are ignoring me thanks

We own the upper 2 floors of a victorian house which was divided many years ago, and we now rent it out. There is a ground floor flat which we do not own, and then the door to our flat opens from the shared entrance corridor directly onto the stair up to the first floor, where the 2 bedrooms are, then continues up to the kitchen, living room and bathroom on the second floor. There are doors only to the two bedrooms and to the bathroom. Everything else is open plan. Question: as landlords, do we need to switch the existing old wood door from the entrance to the stair corridor to a fire door, to prevent risk of fire spreading from ground floor up to our flat?

I have a common part hall way providing access to 3 flats as the only means of escape. I have had a fire risk assessment done and they have said an interlinked alarm is needed between the flats and the common parts. The flats currently have stand alone mains wired systems, the hall way doesn’t have anything. From what I can see in need a grade A cat LD2 system for the hall and grade D LD2 for the flats. I would like the flat systems to be linked by radio signal to cut down on the surface wiring but no one seems to know if such a system would be ok and comply with regs. the building control officer I spoke to said he isn’t familiar with t…

Hi. I'm a long time tenant in a block of flats. After a cursory reading of approved document B and the fire safety order (FSO) of 2005 I think there might be some serious problems with the fire safety. I'd like some advice on whether expert members of this forum agree that there might be some problems and what to do about them as our landlord isn't responsive. The main issue is that the lift, stair well, each flat and external escape don't appear to be suitably compartmented (if that is the right term). Specifically, the lift compartment has holes in it and shares the same plastic roof as stair well. The service ducts in the stair well have open access panels, o…