Fire Safety Order 2005
Requires a suitable and sufficient FRA, full recording, appropriate precautions, emergency arrangements and regular review.
Holiday-let owners, operators and managing agents
Fire risk assessment for holiday lets
Check when the Fire Safety Order applies, whether the small paying-guest guide fits your property and what an assessor should examine before welcoming short-term guests.
Key points
Holiday let or short-term rental fire risk assessment at a glance
- Paying guest accommodation can fall within the Fire Safety Order
- Small simple properties have a defined government guidance route
- Guests are unfamiliar with the layout and escape arrangements
- Every unit needs premises-specific assessment and records
- London and Surrey assessment enquiries
- The responsible person must arrange a suitable and sufficient assessment and record its findings in full.
- Review the relevant assessment and evidence when changes, an incident or new information could affect its validity.
Property-specific guidance
Why this premises type needs its own assessment
A house, flat, cottage, lodge or other property used for short-term paying guests is not treated like an ordinary private home simply because it looks domestic. Government guidance states that the Fire Safety Order applies where accommodation is provided to paying guests and the premises is not occupied as a private dwelling—even where a guest stays for only one night.
The November 2024 small paying-guest guide is intended for straightforward premises within its stated limits. Properties outside those limits, with open-plan escape, inner rooms, several units, unusual construction or materially different protection require the wider sleeping-accommodation guidance and may need professional assessment.
The FRA must reflect the actual unit, maximum occupancy, guest profile, changeover arrangements, access, construction and fire precautions. A platform listing, insurer checklist, smoke-alarm installation or assessment for another property does not replace it.
London incident context
221 recorded fires in other residential premises
London Fire Brigade recorded this total across London in calendar year 2025. It is a broad incident category, not a count for this exact premises type and not a measure of whether an individual building is safe.
Legal responsibility
Who must arrange the assessment?
The owner, operator, employer, letting agent or management company may be a responsible person according to control of the premises and undertaking. Appointing a booking or management agent does not automatically transfer the owner’s duties; the agreement and day-to-day arrangements should make responsibility for assessment, maintenance, guest information and defects explicit.
Read the main fire risk assessment guideLegal framework
Fire-safety duties affecting this property
The Fire Safety Order is the core life-safety regime in England. Other laws and sector requirements can overlap, so the assessment and action plan should not be managed in isolation.
Small paying-guest guidance
Provides a proportionate route for simple premises within the government guide’s stated size, layout and occupancy limits.
Sleeping-accommodation guidance
Applies to larger or more complex guest accommodation and should be used where the small-premises guide does not fit.
Building and letting requirements
Planning, building control, gas, electrical, registration or local requirements can apply separately to the use and property.
Assessment scope
What the assessor should examine
The final scope should reflect the actual building and any limitations. A site visit and a prioritised written report are fundamental for a professional assessment.
Guest occupancy and layout
Record maximum guests, bedrooms, storeys, inner rooms, open-plan areas, stairs, balconies and final exits.
Detection and warning
Check suitable coverage, audibility at bed spaces, interconnection, power supplies, testing and fault arrangements.
Escape and doors
Assess routes from every sleeping room, door operation, protection, windows where relevant and emergency lighting needs.
Cooking, heating and charging
Review appliances, open fires, solid fuel, portable equipment, EV or e-bike charging and guest misuse.
Guest information
Provide concise arrival information, the property address, escape instructions, alarm response and a reliable emergency contact.
Changeover management
Use documented checks for alarms, doors, escape routes, defects, keys and temporary changes between every booking.
Property-specific hazards
Risks that deserve particular attention
These examples are prompts, not a complete checklist. The assessment must identify all significant hazards and how they could affect people in and around the premises.
Unfamiliar guests
People may not recognise the alarm, know the address or understand how to open exits during the night.
Domestic-looking layouts
Open-plan stairs, inner bedrooms and locks may not provide the protection expected in paying guest accommodation.
Cooking and charging
Guests use unfamiliar appliances and may charge multiple personal devices without supervision.
Remote management
A host or agent may not see damage, missing batteries or obstructed routes unless changeover checks are effective.
People at risk
Who may need additional consideration?
The assessment must consider everyone lawfully on or near the premises, including people who may be unable to recognise danger, respond quickly or use the standard escape route without help.
Sleeping guests
They may receive late warning and need a protected, obvious route in darkness or smoke.
Children and older visitors
Capability, supervision and unfamiliarity can affect evacuation time.
Disabled guests
Information and assistance arrangements should reflect accessible booking information and the actual property.
Cleaners and contractors
Lone work, keys, disabled alarms and maintenance activities can introduce different conditions between bookings.
Emergency planning
Evacuation points to test
A written plan is only useful if it matches the building, occupants, available staff and fire precautions and can be carried out under foreseeable conditions.
- Make the escape route obvious without relying on guests reading a long manual during an emergency.
- Provide the exact property address and instruction to call 999 after reaching safety.
- Do not assume escape windows compensate for unsuitable internal routes without applying the relevant guidance.
- Explain any assistance or accessible arrangements accurately before booking and at arrival.
What to expect
The five-stage assessment process
- 1
Prepare
Confirm the areas in scope, responsible persons, occupancy, plans, previous reports and relevant fire-safety records.
- 2
Inspect
Walk the premises and examine hazards, people at risk, escape, fire protection and management arrangements.
- 3
Evaluate
Judge whether precautions are suitable for the actual use, occupants, construction and emergency strategy.
- 4
Record and prioritise
Document findings in full and provide a clear, risk-prioritised action plan with responsible owners.
- 5
Review
Keep the assessment current and revisit it when change, an incident or new information may affect its validity.
Evidence and management
Records to prepare and retain
Good records help an assessor understand the premises, allow defects to be tracked and demonstrate that significant findings have been acted on.
- Current unit-specific FRA and action plan
- Floor plan, maximum occupancy and sleeping-room schedule
- Alarm, emergency-lighting and equipment records
- Changeover and defect checklists
- Guest fire-safety and emergency information
- Maintenance, repair and contractor records
- Incident, false-alarm and complaint records
- Management agreement and responsibility allocation
Keeping it current
When to review the assessment
There is no single fixed review interval suitable for every premises. Set a proportionate programme and review sooner whenever there is reason to think the assessment may no longer be valid.
- New bedrooms, different occupancy or changed booking use
- Alteration, open-plan conversion, new locks or changed escape route
- New heating, cooking, charging or outdoor accommodation
- Change of operator, agent or changeover arrangements
- Fire, near miss, alarm fault or guest safety concern
- Evidence the assessment or small-guide scope is no longer valid
Quote planning
What affects assessment cost?
A useful quote reflects assessor time, competence, site access and reporting complexity. A low headline price is not meaningful without a clear scope.
Units and bedrooms
Number of separate lets, sleeping rooms and maximum guest capacity.
Layout and construction
Storeys, inner rooms, open plans, conversions, historic fabric and external structures.
Access and location
Coordinating keys, occupied bookings, remote sites and several addresses.
Records and management
Plans, alarm information, changeover checks, agents and unresolved defects.
Choosing an assessor
Check the person as well as the company
BAFE SP205 provides third-party certification for organisations delivering life-safety fire risk assessments. The National Fire Risk Assessors Register (NFRAR), administered by the Institute of Fire Safety Managers, records individually assessed fire risk assessors and their competency level.
Use both as complementary evidence: verify the organisation’s current BAFE SP205 status where applicable and the individual’s current NFRAR registration and assessed level. Also check direct experience with holiday let or short-term rental premises, insurance, report scope, site visit, exclusions and how follow-up questions are handled.
Related fire-safety services
Acting on the assessment
The FRA should define outcomes and priorities. Any design, installation, inspection or maintenance work must then be scoped and completed competently.
Hospitality guidance collection
Compare the risks across mixed hospitality premises
Use the hospitality hub where restaurants, accommodation, licensed activity or commercial events overlap within one operation.
Fire doors and protected routes
Plan a competent fire door inspection
Sleeping risk, vulnerable occupants, repeated use and flat-access arrangements can make door condition and records especially important in this premises type.
Local coverage
Find and compare assessment support across London and Surrey
Explore local assessor information and quotation guidance, or use the form below to request a property-specific quote.
For county-wide duties, cost factors and local context, read the Surrey holiday let or short-term rental fire risk assessment guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Fire risk assessment for holiday lets FAQs
Does every holiday let need a fire risk assessment?
Paying guest accommodation within the Fire Safety Order requires a suitable and sufficient assessment. The assessment can be proportionate, but a domestic appearance or occasional letting does not automatically remove the duty.
Can I use the government small paying-guest guide?
The guide is intended for simple premises within its stated scope, including specified occupancy, storey and layout limits. Use the wider sleeping-accommodation guidance and competent help where the property falls outside those limits or differs materially from the recommended arrangements.
Can one FRA cover several holiday lets?
A portfolio can use a consistent method, but every unit needs premises-specific inspection, findings and actions. Differences in layout, construction, occupancy and equipment must not be hidden by a generic template.
Is an Airbnb or booking-platform checklist enough?
No. Platform requirements can support management but do not replace the statutory premises-specific FRA or the duty to implement appropriate precautions.
How often should the holiday-let FRA be reviewed?
There is no universal annual expiry. Review regularly and whenever bookings, occupancy, layout, equipment, management or evidence changes, and after a fire, near miss or significant defect.
How much does a holiday-let FRA cost?
A small, simple single unit may commonly start around £180–£420 in London or Surrey. Multiple units, unusual layouts, remote access, larger occupancy and incomplete records can move the quotation outside this range.
Property-specific enquiry
Request a quote for your holiday let or short-term rental
Provide the essential building and occupancy details. Your enquiry can be reviewed and passed to an assessor serving London or Surrey.
- No obligation to book
- Telephone number required
- Use the details box for unusual risks or deadlines
Sources and limitations
Guidance reviewed 8 September 2026
This page provides general information for England. It is not legal advice, a building-specific assessment or a guarantee of compliance. Fire Safety Services is independent and is not affiliated with BAFE, NFRAR, IFSM, the Government or fire and rescue services.