New Fire Safety Guidance for small holiday lets

VisitBritain/Visit England has issued guidance for people operating small let accommodation. The guidance covers premises that accommodate no more than 10 people and where the accommodation is not above the first floor. It also applies to smaller types of outdoor accommodation, such as holiday caravans, camping and glamping pods, bothies, lodges, shepherds' huts, tents, tree houses, and yurts.

The guidance is available here: Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire. It includes advice on fire risk assessment, fire alarms, escape routes, and fire prevention.

The guidance comes into effect on October 1, 2023. If you operate small let accommodation, you should review the guidance and make sure that your premises are compliant.

Some key points from the guidance are:

• You must carry out a fire risk assessment for your premises.
• You must install smoke alarms in all bedrooms and common areas.
• You must provide clear escape routes from your premises.
• You must store flammable materials safely.
• You must maintain your fire safety equipment in good working order.

The guidance also includes a helpful template for fire risk assessment. This template can help you to identify the fire risks in your premises and to develop a plan to mitigate those risks.