Changes to Residential Landlord H&S Policies to Reflect new Fire Safety Regulations

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force on 23rd January 2023 and apply to all residential properties in England: 

• that contain two or more sets of domestic premises; and
• that contains common parts through which residents would need to evacuate in the case of an emergency.

The regulations also apply to ‘high-rise residential buildings’, meaning a building that is: 

• at least 18 metres above ground level; or
• has at least seven storeys.

The new regulations apply to:

• communal corridors and stairways;
• flat entrance doors;
• the walls and floors;
• plant rooms and other non-domestic areas; and
• external walls of the building, including doors or windows within an external wall, and attachments to an external wall (e.g. balconies). 

Some of the duties apply to all multi-occupancy buildings, others only to high rise. 

Updated H&S Policies for Residential Landlords in England. 

The Residential Landlord H&S Policy and the Residential HMO Landlord H&S Policy have both been amended in response to the new fire safety responsibilities for Responsible Persons / Duty Holders in England.

For information on competence for carrying out a residential fire risk assessment, please read the Guidance Notes: Legislation and Competence for Residential Fire Risk Assessments. The guidance provides background information on the current legislation relating to carrying out a residential fire risk assessment and information on who should be carrying out residential fire risk assessments, differentiating between the role of the “responsible person” and the role of the “competent person”.