HMO Fire Risk Assessment
A house in multiple occupation has common parts, so the landlord or managing agent is the responsible person for them under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and councils check fire safety under the Housing Act 2004 too. In practice almost every licensing team expects to see a current fire risk assessment.
Published figures for an HMO assessment run from about £250 to £600 a property; one council fire safety team charges £515 for a Type 1 on an HMO of three storeys or more.
- Typical HMO
- £250 to £600Published price guides
- Council fee, 3+ storeys
- £515Type 1, April 2026, plus VAT
- Mandatory licence
- 5 or more peopleTwo or more households, England
- Housing standard
- BS 9792:2025Code of practice for housing
Which HMOs need one?
Any HMO with common parts. Councils, fire services and lenders all ask for it, and most licence application forms ask whether you have one.
- Licensed HMOs: five or more people from two or more households need a mandatory licence in England, and the licence conditions cover fire safety.
- Smaller HMOs in areas with additional licensing. Birmingham, for example, has required a licence for every HMO since June 2023 (NRLA report).
- Bedsits and shared houses let room by room, where people sleep behind their own doors.
- Section 257 HMOs: converted blocks of flats that do not meet the 1991 building regulations.
- Student houses and lodgings with a resident landlord and more than two lodgers may also count.
What does an HMO assessment cost?
Fees depend on storeys, rooms and whether the assessor needs to enter each letting. Typical figures from published landlord and assessor price guides (2024 to 2026), and a council fire safety team’s fee list (April 2026).
| Item | Typical fee |
|---|---|
| Small shared house, two storeys Common parts and a sample of rooms | £250 to £400 |
| Larger licensed HMO Three storeys, six or more lettings | £400 to £600 |
| Council fee, Type 1 HMOs of three storeys or more, plus VAT | £515 |
| Council fee, Type 3 Common parts and each letting entered | £620 + £63 each |
| Fire door inspection Per door, with a report | £10 to £65 a door |
What should an HMO assessment cover?
- Escape route
- A protected route from every bedroom to the front door, with no cooking, storage or ignition sources on it, and how long it is.
- Detection and alarm
- The grade and category of the alarm system against the size and layout of the house, and whether it is tested and logged.
- Doors
- Fire doors to bedrooms, kitchens and risk rooms, self-closers where needed, and thumb-turn locks so tenants can get out without a key.
- Kitchens and lounges
- Where the kitchen sits against the escape route, and whether any shared room opens on to it.
- Management
- Who tests what, how tenants are told what to do, rubbish and bikes in the hall, and how repairs are reported.
- A prioritised action plan
- Each action with a priority and a target date, and a clear owner. This is the part you will use most.
Landlords and agents: tell us the house, the storeys and the number of lettings.
Get assessor quotesHow does it run?
Agree the scope
before bookingFloor area, storeys, who uses the building and when, which areas are in scope, and whether doors, flats or the external wall need looking at. A clear scope is what makes quotes comparable.
Send what you have
a week beforeFloor plans, the last assessment, fire alarm and emergency lighting test records, fire door checks, electrical certificates and any fire strategy or building control papers.
The site visit
hours, not daysThe assessor checks the escape route, alarms, doors and kitchens, and usually enters a sample of lettings with notice to tenants.
The written report
often within two weeksEvery finding recorded (a legal requirement in England since October 2023), each risk rated, and a dated action plan with priorities you can hand to contractors.
Act and keep records
ongoingWork through the actions in priority order, keep evidence that each is done, share the relevant findings with staff or residents, and set the review date.
Which guidance do councils use?
Most English councils still judge HMO fire safety against the LACORS guide "Housing: fire safety" (2008), which sets out what is reasonable by type and size of house: alarm grades, door standards and escape routes. Your assessor should know it.
BS 9792:2025, published by BSI in August 2025, is the current code of practice for fire risk assessment in housing, including HMOs. It replaced PAS 79-2:2020.
Scotland licenses HMOs under its own law, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service audits HMOs where three or more qualifying people live. See our Scotland page.
What responsible persons ask
Is a fire risk assessment a legal requirement for an HMO?
Yes, for the common parts, under the Fire Safety Order in England and Wales. Councils also assess fire hazards in the house under the Housing Act 2004 and set fire safety conditions on licences.
Can I do the HMO fire risk assessment myself?
The law does not forbid it, and some landlords of small, simple houses do. For licensed HMOs, three storeys or more, or anything unusual, most use a competent assessor, and some councils expect one.
How often should an HMO assessment be reviewed?
Regularly, and whenever something changes: new tenants with different needs, building work, or a change in the number of lettings. Many landlords review it at each tenancy turnover and commission a fresh one every few years.
Do single lets need a fire risk assessment?
A single-household let without common parts is not covered by the Fire Safety Order. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules still apply.
What do council officers look for?
A protected escape route, the right alarm system, fire doors where needed, safe kitchens, and evidence that alarms and lighting are tested. The assessment and its action plan are the evidence.
Where our information comes from
Fee bands are our own reading of published UK assessor price guides, checked against the council fee list below.
- legislation.gov.uk: Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (read 2 November 2026)
- BSI: BS 9792:2025, fire risk assessment, housing (read 2 November 2026)
- Birmingham City Council licensing, reported by the NRLA, June 2023 (read 2 November 2026)
- Adur and Worthing Councils: fire safety price guide, April 2026 (read 2 November 2026)
- Scottish Fire and Rescue Service: HMO fire safety information sheet (read 2 November 2026)
Ask for quotes for your HMO
Three short steps: where the premises are, what they are like, and how to reach you. About two minutes.
Thanks, your enquiry is in.
- We will email or call to tell you which fire risk assessor covers your area and type of premises.
- Your details reach that firm only if you say yes.
- They agree the scope with you and give you a written fee. No marketing from us, ever.