Holiday let fire risk assessments

If you take paying guests, the fire safety law applies to you. We help holiday let owners in Derbyshire and beyond meet it, simply and properly.

Holiday cottage assessed for fire safety by Derwent Fire Compliance

The law applies to paying guests

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 covers any accommodation provided for paying guests, from a large guest house to a single cottage or a room let through Airbnb. As the owner or manager you are the Responsible Person, and you must make sure a suitable fire risk assessment is carried out and kept up to date.

Since October 2023 the full assessment must be recorded in writing, together with the name of whoever carried it out. Guests are unfamiliar with the property and may be asleep when a fire starts, which is why escape routes and early warning matter so much.

What we look at

  • Escape routes that guests can find and use at night
  • Smoke and heat detection, and how it is tested
  • Fire doors, especially between kitchens and escape routes
  • Furniture and furnishings, cooking, heating and open fires or wood burners
  • Fire-fighting equipment such as a fire blanket
  • Clear fire safety information and procedures for guests

Across Derbyshire and the Peak District

We are based in Belper and assess holiday lets throughout Derbyshire, including the Peak District, as well as Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire. Site visits are arranged around your bookings, and owners with several properties can take advantage of our multiple-building discount.

Questions

Does a small holiday cottage need a fire risk assessment?
Yes. The Fire Safety Order applies to accommodation for paying guests regardless of size, so a single cottage or self-catering let needs a suitable, written fire risk assessment.
Does this apply to Airbnb lets?
If guests pay to stay, the same duties apply whether you let through Airbnb, another platform or directly.
Can you visit between bookings?
Yes. We arrange the site inspection at a time convenient to you, around your guests.
What will I receive?
A written fire risk assessment with an action log, setting out anything that needs improving and how urgently.

Get a competitive quote

Tell us a little about the property: how many storeys, and what it's used for. We'll come back to you quickly.