What if I'm a fire risk?

[Guest Beccy]

Hi, my partner and I have lived in a first floor apartment happily for over two years now, but our circumstances have changed and my partner is now registered disabled. There is no lift in the building and so she is forced to use the stairs. Though she has the use of both of her legs, she suffers from serious mobility problems and her condition is chronic. This seems, to us, to present a serious fire risk. In that, should the need arise, she will be unable to escape. What are our landlords obligations? I understand that he should make reasonable adaptations to the property, but what if these changes can't be made? I can't seem to think of a soloution, would he be forced to end our contract under fire safety regulations?

[Tom Sutton]

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 only covers the common areas of blocks of flats, but the flat it's self is not covered, however the Responsible Person (landlord) must consider any Relevant Persons, (tenants) in the building. The RP has a duty to conduct a Fire Risk Assessment to ensure everybody will be safe in the event of a fire in your building and depending on the construction, provide a safe haven up to 60 minutes.

You say, "There is no lift in the building and so she is forced to use the stairs" so is your partner house-bound, as the result of her disablement, or can she make her way out of the building, understandably slowly, if so why does she present a serious fire risk?

Without more information I am unable to give a definitive answer.

Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/regulatory-reform-fire-safety-order-2005/ for more information.