The shared staircase and hallway in an HMO are not just circulation space, they are the HMO escape route, and in many shared houses they are the single most important fire safety feature. If tenants cannot get out safely, nothing else matters. If you run an HMO in Canterbury or anywhere in Kent, here is what a sound escape route looks like.
What a protected escape route means
In an HMO, the escape route is usually expected to be a protected route: a hallway and staircase enclosed by fire-resisting construction and fire doors, so that a fire in one room does not fill the only way out with smoke. The idea is that tenants can pass along it even while a fire is developing in a room off it. This protection is central to the LACORS guidance.
Keep it clear, always
A protected route only works if it is usable. The management regulations require means of escape to be kept free from obstruction, yet blocked hallways are one of the most common failings councils find. Bikes, bin bags, deliveries, shoe racks and stored furniture all turn a safe route into a trap. Keeping it clear takes tenant communication and regular checks, not a single tidy-up.
Doors that open without a key
Final exit doors and doors on the route must open easily from the inside without a key, so nobody is hunting for keys in smoke. Thumb-turn locks solve the security versus escape problem. This is a frequent inspection point and an easy one to get wrong with the wrong lock.
Lighting the way
If the power fails during a fire, tenants still need to see the route. Depending on the size and complexity of the HMO, that means either borrowed light or fitted emergency lighting. Longer or more complex routes, and taller HMOs, are more likely to need automatic emergency lighting.
Travel distances and inner rooms
How far someone has to travel to reach safety, and whether any room can only be reached through another, both affect whether a single route is enough. These are technical judgements the fire risk assessment has to make, and they are areas where the ESI assessor checklist goes into detail that a quick look would miss.
Signage and management
Clear signage helps tenants who may be new to the building, and a managed routine keeps the route clear between inspections. Kent Fire and Rescue Service can advise on layouts that are hard to assess by eye.
Keeping the route usable day to day
A protected route is only as good as its worst day, and in a busy HMO that means constant small encroachments: a bike here, a parcel there, a bag of recycling by the door. Clear signage reminding tenants not to obstruct the route helps, but regular checks are what actually keep it clear, because no notice stops clutter on its own.
It is also worth making sure tenants know the route works in the dark, which ties into your emergency lighting arrangements. Kent Fire and Rescue Service can advise on layouts that are hard to assess by eye, particularly in older conversions where the staircase was never designed as a protected escape route and has to be brought up to standard.
Pay particular attention to the final exit door, since it is the last point everyone passes through. It should open easily from the inside without a key, not be blocked by bins or deliveries outside, and lead to a safe place away from the building. A route that works everywhere except the front door is not a working route.
Protect your escape route
Want to be sure your escape route would actually work in a fire? For advice tailored to your property from a competent professional, speak to Jamie at ESI: Fire Safety on 01276 300 351.
