East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is calling for landlords, property owners and letting agents to prioritise fire safety in short-term holiday lets and party accommodation as part of its Safer Summer campaign.
East Sussex and Brighton and Hove has a thriving tourist industry and large-group holiday / party lets are a popular choice for people visiting the area.
However, that relaxing getaway can rapidly turn into a disaster, if correct fire and other safety standards have not been implemented by those legally responsible for the property.
Key safety points which the owner/managing agent should follow:
- Premises that are let as short-term self-catering holiday accommodation must be provided with appropriate fire safety measures.
- It is the duty of the responsible person (normally the owner or managing agent) to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.
- A fire risk assessment must identify all risks and hazards from fire and provide a plan to ensure any required improvements are carried out within a suitable period of time.
- All guests should be fully aware of the fire safety measures and advice – for example not wedging fire doors open.
- There should be clear instructions for guests on what to do if a fire alarm goes off including details of escape routes.
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Services Fire Safety teams can be contacted for further advice.
Useful Links
The guide to making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire gives simple and practical advice to assist persons with responsibilities for fire safety in paying guest accommodation with simple layouts, limited fire risks and a small number of bedrooms designated as guest sleeping accommodation for short-term lets, such as small bed and breakfast, guest houses and self-catering accommodation. The guide takes the form of guidance and recommendations to support the application of fire safety legislation, including advice about completing a fire safety risk assessment.
If your paying guest accommodation falls outside the scope of this guide, you should base your fire precautions, and your fire risk assessment, on the guidance in Fire safety risk assessment: sleeping accommodation.