Fire Strategy for HMO Properties

What makes HMO fire strategy different from other residential buildings

A house in multiple occupation presents a distinct set of fire safety challenges that a standard residential fire strategy does not address. Occupants of different tenancies share means of escape — corridors, stairways, and final exit routes — without the coordinated response that would be expected in a single-household dwelling or a purpose-built block. Each room is effectively a self-contained sleeping area, which means compartmentation, detection, and means of escape must be designed around the individual room as the unit of risk.

Fire strategy reports for HMO properties are required in a range of circumstances: where planning permission is sought for a change of use from C3 (dwelling) to C4 (small HMO) or sui generis (large HMO); where a local authority HMO licence application requires evidence of fire safety compliance; where building control requires a fire safety strategy as part of a conversion or refurbishment; or where a property is being sold and the purchaser's solicitors or lender require documentation of the fire safety design rationale.

The applicable standards depend on the size, height, and construction of the property. For most HMO conversions, Approved Document B and BS 9991:2015 (fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings) are the primary reference documents. Where the HMO is in a larger building or involves a material change of use, additional considerations under the Building Safety Act 2022 may apply.