The sofa in a shared lounge and the mattresses in the bedrooms are part of your fire safety, because what furniture is made of decides how fast a fire grows and how much toxic smoke it gives off. HMO furniture fire regulations set the standard the items you supply must meet. If you furnish an HMO in Bracknell or anywhere in Berkshire, here is what applies.
The regulations that apply
Upholstered furniture you provide in a let, including an HMO, should meet the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations. These set ignition resistance standards for sofas, armchairs, beds, mattresses, headboards, cushions and similar soft items. The aim is that furniture resists catching light easily and does not accelerate a fire once one starts.
Look for the label
The simplest sign that an item complies is the permanent fire safety label that compliant furniture carries. Keep those labels attached and check for them when you buy. If you are kitting out a property with new furniture from a reputable retailer, it will be compliant, and the label proves it. Removed or missing labels are where doubt creeps in.
The second-hand trap
The usual problem is older or second-hand furniture. Items made before the regulations took effect, or pieces with the labels cut off, may not meet the standard, and you cannot easily tell by looking. Furnishing an HMO on a budget with auction or marketplace finds is exactly where non-compliant items slip in, so treat unlabelled soft furniture with caution.
Why it matters in an HMO
Non-compliant foam can ignite quickly and produce dense, toxic smoke within minutes. In an HMO, where tenants sleep behind separate doors and rely on a shared escape route, that speed matters even more than in a single home. Compliant furnishings buy the time that your detection and fire doors are designed to protect. Note the position in your fire risk assessment.
Keeping on top of it
When you replace an item, keep the receipt and note the compliance label with your records, and check furniture at your regular reviews. As tenants come and go, keep an eye out for items they may have brought in, since a tenant’s own sofa is outside your control but still in your building. Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service treats furnishing standards as part of a property’s overall fire load.
An easy area to get right
Furniture compliance is one of the more straightforward duties, and an obvious one to fail if you furnish cheaply. Buying labelled, compliant items and keeping the paperwork covers it. Where you have inherited furniture with an HMO purchase, an assessor can help you judge what should be replaced.
Mattresses and bedding
Bedrooms deserve particular attention in an HMO, because that is where tenants sleep and where a smouldering fire can take hold unnoticed. Mattresses, headboards and divan bases all fall under the furniture fire regulations, and tired or unlabelled mattresses inherited with a property are a common weak point. Replacing them with compliant, labelled items is a sensible part of any refurbishment, and it feeds straight into your fire risk assessment.
Keep an eye on what tenants bring in too, since a personal sofa or mattress is outside your control but still adds to the fire load in your building. Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service treats furnishing standards as part of the overall risk, and a quick label check at each changeover or inspection keeps the position clear.
Get your furnishings compliant
Unsure whether your HMO furniture meets the standard? For advice tailored to your property from a competent professional, speak to Jamie at ESI: Fire Safety on 01276 300 351.
