Fire safety for renters
Renters have specific legal rights around fire safety — and specific responsibilities too. This guide covers what your landlord is legally required to provide, what you can do as a tenant to stay safe, and who is responsible for common areas in a block of flats.
Key point
Your landlord is legally required to provide working smoke alarms, CO alarms, and safe escape routes. If they are missing or faulty, report this in writing to your landlord — and to your local council if not resolved.
Landlord obligations
What your landlord is legally required to provide
Smoke alarm on every storey
Required (England/Wales/Scotland)Must be working at start of tenancy
CO alarm in rooms with combustion appliance
Required (England 2022+)Includes gas boilers since 2022
Gas appliance safety check annually
Required (Gas Safety Regs 1998)CP12 certificate issued to tenant
Electrical installation condition report (EICR)
Required every 5 years (England)Copy must be given to tenant
Adequate means of escape
Required (Building Regs / RRO)Applies to all rented properties
Furniture safety marks
Required (Furniture Regs 1988)All supplied furniture must meet fire standards
Tenant responsibilities
Seven things tenants should do
Test smoke and CO alarms monthly — notify the landlord promptly if faulty
Never disable or remove a smoke or CO alarm
Keep your own escape route clear — no items in the hallway or stairwell
Know two ways out of every room — see the escape planning guide
Do not use a gas oven or hob to heat a room
Report any damage to fire doors, escape lighting, or fire signage immediately
Charge e-bikes and e-scooters outside the flat or in a room that does not block the exit
Common areas: whose responsibility?
In a multi-occupied building — whether a purpose-built block or a converted house of multiple occupation (HMO) — the building owner or managing agent is responsible for fire safety in all shared areas. This includes: maintaining and testing the communal fire alarm, keeping escape routes clear and adequately lit, ensuring fire doors self-close correctly, and conducting an annual fire risk assessment. If you see a fire door wedged open, a blocked corridor, or a broken emergency light, report it. If the issue is not resolved, contact your local fire and rescue service — they can inspect and issue enforcement notices.
Know your building's evacuation strategy
Modern blocks of flats use one of two strategies: "stay put" (remain in your flat unless the fire is in your flat or you are told to leave) or "simultaneous evacuation" (everyone leaves when the alarm sounds). Ask your building manager which applies. If your building has had fire safety enforcement notices issued or has cladding concerns, the strategy may have changed — check the latest communication from your building manager.
E-bike and e-scooter charging in rented flats
Many tenants charge e-bikes and e-scooters in their flat hallway — which is the most dangerous location if a battery fire starts, as it blocks the only exit. The London Fire Brigade advises charging in a room with a door that can be closed, away from the escape route. For full guidance on lithium battery fire risks, see our e-bike battery fire risks article.
Renters FAQ
Questions about fire safety rights and responsibilities for tenants
In England, the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 require landlords in the private rented sector to install a working smoke alarm on every storey and a CO alarm in every room with a fixed combustion appliance (including gas boilers). Alarms must be in working order at the start of the tenancy. In Scotland, all homes must have interlinked alarms under the Scottish fire safety regulations (2022). In the US, requirements vary by state and city — most require working smoke alarms in each sleeping area and on every storey. For full placement guidance, see our smoke alarm placement guide.
In England, contact your local council's environmental health or housing team — they have enforcement powers under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations and can issue remedial notices. Keep a written record of your requests to the landlord. In Scotland, contact the local council. In the US, report the issue to your local housing authority or code enforcement office. As a short-term measure, you have the right to install your own smoke alarm (removable, no damage) while pursuing the formal route — do not leave the property unprotected.
Any lock you add must not compromise the fire egress capability of the door. In the UK, adding a deadbolt that requires a key to open from the inside is a fire safety hazard — if a fire starts at night and you cannot find the key in the dark or in a smoke-filled room, you may be trapped. Thumb-turn deadbolts (no key needed from inside) are acceptable. You should obtain your landlord's consent before making modifications, but the landlord cannot insist on a configuration that creates a fire hazard for occupants.
In a multi-occupied residential building in the UK, the building owner or managing agent is the "responsible person" under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for all common areas — corridors, stairwells, hallways, and shared plant rooms. They must conduct a fire risk assessment, maintain fire doors, ensure escape routes are clear, and conduct fire alarm tests. Tenants are responsible for fire safety within their own unit. If you notice deficiencies in common areas (blocked corridors, damaged fire doors, propped-open fire doors), report them to the building manager and your local fire authority if they are not addressed. See also our Fire Safety Act 2022 explainer for renters.
"Stay put" is the traditional fire safety advice for purpose-built blocks of flats: if a fire starts in another flat, the compartmentation (fire doors, fire-rated walls) is designed to contain the fire while you wait in your flat for fire services to arrive. This advice was reviewed after the Grenfell Tower fire. It applies only where the building has adequate compartmentation and fire doors in working order. In buildings with known cladding defects, inadequate fire doors, or enforcement notices, "simultaneous evacuation" may apply instead — check with your building manager or local fire service. In the US, NFPA guidance generally recommends evacuation upon any alarm activation in residential buildings. If evacuation is required, review our get out, stay out guide.