Hello,

I'm looking for some advice. My parents live in a HMO. It's a 3 storey building with 1 flat to each floor, they live in the top floor and have access to the loft space. I was up there last week and noticed that the builder/electrical installer has not used LZOH cable. The building was new in 2017 when they moved in.  It hasn't been laid particularly neatly as some is underneath the insulation and some on top. Can anyone tell me if this is a legal requirement in HMO's? and where the regulations state this? I don't believe that it is in normal residential buildings. I do understand that it is in business premises. Additionally do fitted spotlights, they are LED, in the ceiling need to have hoods fitted above in the loft space to create an airgap around the fitting  where otherwise loft insulation would just be laid straight on top. So that the fittings (I don't have a make/model) get pretty hot to the touch and so would be a potential fire hazard. What about other cable types too Speakers, Burglar alarm, smoke/fire detectors?

Thank you
 

Fire hoods are only a requirement if there is a sleeping area above the lights.

An example is:  A kitchen with a bedroom above.

But that said, if a downlight is Fire rated it does not require a "fire hood"

Fire hoods/fire rated downlights are only designed to stop the spread of fire from the level below to the level above.

Insulation covering downlights only serves to keep heat in the light, so causing it to get too hot and to fail prematurely.

Low smoke cable can often be found in large open space public buildings, it is not a requirement elsewhere.

Cables should be neatly clipped as and when required* but this fact is often ignored due to time allowed for the job.

 

* Depending on size of cable, cable run length, what it is fixed to, vertical or horizontal