Fire Risk Assessments in London Under Housing Act 2004 Performed by Professionals

by Heather Hall Heather Hall has led the Coordinating team at LFRA

London Fire Risk Assessments carry out Fire Risk Assessments in London under the Housing Act 2004. LACORS and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (As Amended) to help Responsible Persons comply with the requirements of Property Licensing which, in turn, aims to regulate the condition and management of Private Residential Properties in London.

Property Licensing is required for reasons including:

Improving property standards and Management
Helping to address Anti-Social Behaviour issues.
To protect Residents from the actions of some Landlords.

Most Borough Councils operate Three Licensing Schemes and if your property meets any of the descriptions listed you may need to apply for a property licence.

The most common Licenses are as follows;

Mandatory Licensing:

· All houses or Flats where there are Five or more unrelated people, forming Two or more households and who share amenities such as a Kitchen, Bathroom or Toilet.

· All Buildings occupied by Five or more unrelated people, forming Two or more Households and consisting of Bedsits or

· Flats which are not fully self-contained (e.g. occupiers need to leave their Bedsit, Flat or to use a Bathroom or Kitchen.

Additional Licensing:

· All Houses or Flats where there are Three or Four unrelated people, forming Two or more Households and sharing facilities such as a Kitchen, Bathroom or Toilet

· All Buildings occupied by Three or Four unrelated people, forming Two or more Households and consisting of Bedsits or

· Flats which are not fully self-contained (e.g. occupiers need to leave their Bedsit, Flat or to use a Bathroom.

· Any Building that has been converted into self-contained Flats and where the standard of conversion does not meet the Building Regulations 1991 and where all of the Flats are tenanted and under one single ownership, commonly known as S257 Houses in Multiple Occupancy

· All Flats let to Three or more unrelated people, forming Two or more Households, located within a Purpose Built Block of Flats and not covered by a Mandatory Licensing Scheme.

Selective Licensing:

· All Privately rented accommodation occupied by either One or Two people regardless of their relationship or occupied by a single family, Household and located within the relevant Council Ward can be subject to Selective Licensing

By holding a Property Licence, the Responsible Person will need to comply with the House in Multiple Licensing conditions or Selective Licensing conditions which should ensure the property is properly managed and provides a safe environment.

For Mandatory or Additional Licensing the property must also meet prescribed standards

A Section 257 House in Multiple Occupation is a Building converted into self-contained Flats where the works of conversion do not comply with the Building Regulations 1991 or subsequent regulations in force at the time of conversion, or which has not been retrospectively upgraded to comply and normally, where less than Two thirds of the Flats are owner-occupied.

As a Premise which is licenced, these, and the identified 257 Houses, require a Fire Risk Assessment.

If you require a Fire Risk Assessment for you London Flat, London Fire Risk Assessments can carry out an in-depth Fire Safety Inspection and Audit. Once this has been carried out, they will then compile a ‘suitable and sufficient’ Fire Safety Risk Assessment. The Fire Safety Risk Assessment will include the following ‘parts’ as are required by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (As Amended)

· Fire Safety Risk Assessment Report

· Fire Safety Management Action Plan – Significant Findings

· Fire Safety Policy

· Fire Safety Emergency Plan

There are some London Fire Protection Services that do not supply the Fire Safety Emergency Plan – so it’s up to the Responsible Person to ask why not! Some will charge extra for this service, but it should be included in the price if they are offering a ‘suitable and sufficient’ Fire Safety Risk Assessment.

London Fire Risk Assessments are completely independent of any companies offering Fire Safety Protection Services therefore their advice is unbiased. They have been established for over 15 years and all their Fire Safety Risk Assessors have qualified with the Institution of Fire Engineers the Fire Protection Association, CS Todd Associates and the Institute of Fire Safety Managers. They are on the IFSM Register of accredited Fire Risk Assessors and the National Register of Accredited Fire Risk Assessors. They are fully insured, and all their Assessors are retired London Fire Brigade Fire Safety Officers, so they know how to put Fires out and how to prevent them!