Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) bring together independent households, shared facilities and, in some buildings, complex converted layouts. These features require careful fire detection, escape planning and maintenance. This guide uses the official HMO premises category for England, alongside clearly labelled figures for all dwelling fires and a documented historical prosecution.
In 2025/26, fire and rescue services carried out 745 HMO fire safety audits in England. The figures below distinguish HMOs from purpose-built flats, which are separate categories in the official tables, and distinguish audit outcomes from the likelihood of a fire.
Reviewed 15 October 2026. Annual figures cover England, April 2025 to March 2026, unless another period or geography is stated. Historical studies, guidance and court cases are labelled separately.
Key facts and figures
- 745 HMO fire safety audits were carried out in England in 2025/26, down 16.8% from 895 in 2024/25.
- 50% of HMO audits in England in 2025/26 were satisfactory: 375 of 745.
- 77 Article 30 enforcement notices related to HMOs in England in 2025/26.
- 24% of all dwelling fire fatalities in England in 2025/26 occurred where no smoke alarm was present; this is not HMO-specific.
- £60,000 was the company fine in the Suffolk Home from Home prosecution in July 2024, plus £24,750 costs.
- £40,000 is the maximum financial penalty for specified breaches of rented-sector electrical safety duties in England.
HMO fire risk and inspection activity
An HMO may house people who keep different hours and do not share a household routine. Shared cooking areas, sleeping accommodation and escape routes need a fire safety plan that everyone can understand. The required precautions depend on the building, its occupants and the applicable legal duties; these audit totals do not establish a national ranking of residential fire risk.
MHCLG table FIRE1202 records 745 HMO audits in England in 2025/26, compared with 895 in 2024/25. There were 375 satisfactory and 370 unsatisfactory audits, each approximately 50% of the total. Audits follow local risk programmes rather than a random sample of all HMOs, so this is not an estimate of compliance across the whole HMO stock. The table also records 77 enforcement notices for HMOs.
Why HMOs need careful fire planning
Several features require particular attention in an HMO fire risk assessment:
- Independent households. Occupants need clear information about raising the alarm, escape routes and what to do in a fire.
- Shared cooking facilities. Cooking equipment, combustible storage and safe use of the kitchen need routine attention.
- Converted layouts. Corridors, internal rooms and fire separation must be assessed for the actual layout.
- Occupancy. Escape arrangements must suit the number and needs of the people using the building.
- Building condition. Doors, walls and service penetrations need appropriate maintenance to limit smoke and fire spread.
- Battery charging. E-bikes, e-scooters and chargers should not obstruct or compromise escape routes.
Smoke detection is an important part of the precautions. In England’s 2025/26 dwelling-fire statistics, 44 fatalities (24%) occurred in fires where no smoke alarm was present. This covers all dwellings, not just HMOs, and does not by itself measure how many deaths an alarm would have prevented.
Fire safety requirements for HMOs
Landlords and managing agents need to establish which housing, licensing and fire safety duties apply to their particular premises. In England, these include:
- Housing and HMO licensing duties. Applicable licence conditions and housing standards cover matters such as occupancy, fire precautions and escape arrangements.
- The Fire Safety Order. Where it applies, the responsible person must assess fire risks and provide appropriate precautions, including for relevant common parts.
- Electrical safety. Government rented-sector guidance requires inspection and testing at least every five years, or sooner if the report requires it. Specified breaches can attract a financial penalty of up to £40,000.
- Detection and warning. Provide and maintain the alarm arrangements required by the applicable regulations, licence conditions and building-specific assessment.
A documented prosecution: Suffolk, July 2024
Suffolk County Council’s prosecution record describes the July 2024 sentencing of Home from Home Property Management Ltd and its director, Edward Ottley. The company and director each faced four fire safety offences. The separate sanctions show why a company fine must not be confused with the director’s sentence or with costs.
| Suffolk case, July 2024 | Penalty | Recipient / detail |
|---|---|---|
| Company fine | £60,000 | Home from Home Property Management Ltd |
| Company costs | £24,750 | Separate from the company fine |
| Director’s custodial sentence | 10 months, suspended for 18 months | Edward Ottley |
| Director’s other sanctions | 120 hours unpaid work + £24,750 costs | Separate from the company’s costs |
This is one documented historical case, not a typical HMO sentencing range. Penalties depend on the offences and circumstances. Landlords should focus on maintaining precautions and acting promptly on fire safety concerns, rather than treating any previous fine as a tariff.
What HMO landlords must do
Landlords should keep records of their fire safety arrangements and review them when circumstances change. Relevant precautions include:
- A written fire risk assessment carried out by a competent person and kept under review.
- An appropriate fire detection and alarm system — typically Grade D LD2 or LD1, or a mains-powered interlinked system suited to the building.
- Fire-resisting doors fitted with working self-closing mechanisms and intact seals.
- Escape routes that are clear, adequately lit and kept free of obstruction and combustible storage.
- Suitable firefighting equipment, such as extinguishers and fire blankets, where the assessment requires it.
- Emergency lighting in common parts where escape routes would otherwise be unsafe in darkness.
Where staff or managing agents are responsible for a portfolio, basic fire warden training helps the people on the ground recognise hazards, maintain escape routes and respond correctly if the alarm sounds.
Make sure the people managing your HMOs know their fire safety duties.
Explore the Fire Warden / Fire Marshal Course →Sources & references
- MHCLG — Fire prevention and protection, England, April 2025 to March 2026
- MHCLG — FIRE1202: audits and formal notifications by premises type
- MHCLG — Detailed analysis of fires, England, year ending March 2026
- Government guidance — Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, England
- Suffolk County Council — Fire safety prosecutions: Home from Home, July 2024
Mark writes about workplace fire safety, compliance and online training for Fire Marshal Training, part of Online CPD Academy.