HMO Fire Safety Calculator

All HMOs require a fire risk assessment, appropriate fire detection and alarm system, fire doors to rooms and kitchens, fire escape routes, emergency lighting (in larger HMOs), fire extinguishers and fire safety signage. The exact specification depends on the HMO type, size and number of storeys per LACORS guidance.

LACORS Housing — Fire Safety guidance (Table C4) recommends, for normal-risk properties: Grade D LD3 (interlinked mains detectors on escape routes) for small 1-2 storey shared houses; Grade D LD2 (adding detectors in higher-risk rooms) for 3-4 storey shared houses and for 1-2 storey bedsit HMOs; and Grade A LD2 (a commercial panel system to BS EN 54) for bedsit HMOs of 3 or more storeys, shared houses of 5-6 storeys, and large or higher-risk HMOs. The grade always follows the property’s fire risk assessment.

Yes, all habitable rooms in an HMO should have FD30 fire doors with intumescent strips and self-closers. Kitchens should have FD30S doors (with cold smoke seals). Cupboards under stairs must have 30-minute fire-rated enclosures. These are minimum LACORS requirements.

A small 3-bed shared house typically costs £1,500-£3,000 for fire safety upgrades. A 6-bed 3-storey HMO typically costs £4,000-£8,000. Large HMOs (7+ beds, 4+ storeys) can cost £8,000-£15,000+ including Grade A fire alarms and emergency lighting.

LACORS Table C5 recommends emergency escape lighting throughout the escape route in HMOs of 3 or 4 storeys where the route is long, complex or has no effective borrowed light, and for all HMOs of 5 or 6 storeys. Because HMOs are sleeping-risk premises, BS 5266-1 (2025 edition) requires the emergency lighting to maintain illumination for a minimum rated duration of 3 hours — not the 1 hour used for non-sleeping premises with immediate evacuation and reoccupation only after recharge. Systems must be function-tested monthly and full-duration tested annually per BS 5266-1.