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This means that you must ensure that each appliance and flue is checked for safety at least once every 12 months by a competent CORGI registered gas fitter. You must keep a record of that check, usually a landlords certificate of gas safety, for at least two years from the date of that check.

Badly fitted or poorly maintained gas fittings KILL. The enforcing establishment for the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations is the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). All matters of none compliance are referred to the HSE which could lead to prosecution under criminal law and could result in heavy fines or even imprisonment.

Fire Safety

As previously mentioned, the chances of fire occurring in a HMO is far greater that that of a normal single family house. That risk is even more acute in properties where there are more than three stories. The landlord must therefore ensure that the tenants are adequately protected in the event of fire. This means providing them with a means of receiving early warning about the fire, and ensuring that there is a safe escape route from the building.

Early warning is achieved with audible fire detection. This means the installation of an electronic fire alarm system. Below is a description of a typical fire alarm specification for a three story house which has been converted into self-contained flats.

The system must be compliant with British Standard 5839: Part 6: for an LD2 type system.

Grade A system to be installed to all circulation areas, and those rooms immediately adjacent to them. This should include the fitting of optical point type smoke detectors conforming to BS5445: Part 7 to the following areas:

• Each landing level within the staircase enclosure
• All entrance lobbies within flats

Fire alarm sounders are to be located within flats, preferably within the flat entrance lobby. The sounder may be integral to the smoke detector located in the flat lobby. The sounder must be loud enough so that it can be heard at a minimum level of 85 db at each bedroom doorway. The sound frequency should lie between 500Hz and 1000Hz.

Manual call points of the break glass type conforming to BS5839: Part 2 are to be installed located at around 1.4m from ground level, in the following areas:

At each landing level within the staircase enclosure.

Adjacent to the main entrance door

All devices are to be interlinked and connected in circuit to control and indicating equipment (fire alarm panel) that conforms with BS5839: Part 4 which should be designed, installed and serviced in accordance with BS5839: Part 1. A power supply backup capable of maintaining alarm for 15 minutes upon failure of the mains supply.

All wiring to be in accordance with BS5839: Part 1 and I.E.E. Wiring Regulations.

Grade D system to be installed within the dwelling units. This system is to include the installation of point heat detectors of the rate of rise type in each flat kitchen. These detectors are to conform to BS5445: Part 5 or Part 8 and be mains powered with battery back-up. The detector need not be interlinked to the Grade A system.

You should check with suppliers that all the components described in the system are compliant with any of the relevant British Standards mentioned. You will be required to provide certification from the installing engineer that those requirements have been satisfied.

To ensure that tenants can exit the building safely there must be a number of measures in place to make sure that the escape route, usually the staircase enclosure, is protected from the fire and smoke, is adequately lit and is kept free from any obstacles that could hinder escape. Separation between the flats, including walls, floors and ceilings must also be protected to slow the spread of fire and to protect tenants should the escape route be compromised.

The first level of protection is the structure itself. Generally speaking the solid brick walls of the house will resist fire for the required amount of time, which is 30 minutes. However the same cannot be said for studded partition walls, or old style lathe and plaster ceilings. These elements must therefore be upgraded to ensure that they too offer the same level of fire resistance than the rest of the structure. Below are some AutoCAD drawings of building elements that have been tested and classified as being fire resisting for a standard of 30 minutes.