In the wake of worrying research that shows 65 percent of tenants in flats and apartments renting privately have not had any fire safety reassurance from their landlord since the Grenfell Tower fire, practical guidance has been launched during Fire Door Safety Week by the BWF-Certifire Scheme.
Unsurprisingly, a quarter of tenants renting privately feel more anxious about living in their home since the Grenfell Tower fire, and 28 percent of them do not trust their landlord to understand and implement all the necessary fire safety measures in their building, including eight percent who do not trust them due to something they have specifically witnessed while renting.
Other research indicates that certain types of HMOs (aka House in Multiple Occupation) present significantly greater health and safety risks to tenants than comparable single occupancy dwellings. Risk assessments carried out by ENTEC on fire safety in HMOs concluded that in all houses converted into bedsits, the annual risk of death per person is 1 in 50,000 (six times higher than in comparable single occupancy houses). In the case of bedsit houses comprising three or more storeys, the risk is 1 in 18,600 (16 times higher than in comparable single occupancy houses).
“Landlords can use these free resources to rebuild trust and communicate critically important fire safety messages to their tenants, and tenants can now take action if they have concerns,” says Hannah Mansell, spokesperson for Fire Door Safety Week.
“Fire doors play a key role in passive fire protection, but their importance is often overlooked. These resources will arm landlords and tenants with the information they need to tackle any fire door problems in a building. At a time when fire safety is under such scrutiny, no one can afford to make any mistakes.”
(Please note – If this sounds complicated please take a look at our Manchester property management services here).
For more information on keeping your rental property, be it a traditional property, an apartment/flat, or HMO, fire safe, give Abode a call on 0161 883 2525.
