Does my HMO need a fire risk assessment?
Yes. The common parts of every HMO legally require a fire risk assessment under the Fire Safety Order — and if you're applying for or renewing an HMO licence, your council will almost certainly want to see one as part of the application.
Independent HMO assessments across Hampshire & Dorset, carried out by Matt McAllen — a chartered safety professional (CMIOSH), working to BS 9792:2025 and LACORS. Fixed prices from £199 by the number of rooms, and no upfront payment.
As the landlord or agent, the duty is yours
You don't live there — but the shared parts of the building (the hallways, the stairs, the landings, the escape routes) are yours to keep safe under the law. That duty sits with whoever controls the common parts: the landlord, or the managing agent with full control.
And if you're licensing, it isn't optional paperwork. In Portsmouth and Southampton — and a growing number of councils — a fire risk assessment is expected as part of the HMO licence application itself. In Portsmouth, if you don't have a current one at the time you apply, you're issued a one-year licence with a condition to get it — rather than the full five-year term.
You need one. Here's how simple it is.
Whether it's for your licence or just to be compliant, tell me about the property and I'll come back to you personally — usually within a few hours. No upfront payment, no commitment.
- 1 Send a quick enquiryA few details so I can confirm your price by room count and find a date that suits you.
- 2 I visit and assessA thorough, non-intrusive assessment of the common parts — plus a representative sample of rooms if it's a Type 3.
- 3 Draft, then invoiceYou review a draft first. The finalised, signed report — ready for your council — follows once the invoice is settled. Nothing paid up front.
See your price, then send your details
It takes about a minute. No upfront payment, no obligation — I'll confirm your price and a date that suits, and it's me, Matt, who calls you back.
Fixed from £199 · nothing paid up front
What's required for an HMO
The common parts of an HMO must have a fire risk assessment under the Fire Safety Order. For housing, it's carried out to BS 9792:2025 — the British Standard code of practice for fire risk assessment in housing — with the LACORS housing fire safety guidance as the practical benchmark councils and fire services judge against.
An HMO is judged from two directions at once — the fire and rescue service and the local housing authority — so the work has to satisfy both. The methodology now comes from BS 9792:2025, the British Standard that replaced the older PAS 79-2 in 2025; the practical fire-precaution standards councils expect come from the LACORS guidance.
The duty itself sits with you as the responsible person, and the Order expects the assessment to be "suitable and sufficient" and carried out by someone competent. You can use a template and do it yourself — some councils say as much — but on a building where people sleep, a competent, independent assessment is what stands up when the fire service or the council looks at it closely.
Where there's a licensing scheme — as in Portsmouth and Southampton — the council wants the assessment with the application. A missing one doesn't stop you applying, but it's a live compliance gap, and it can cost you the full licence term.
Not sure whether your property even counts as an HMO? See our guide: Does an HMO need a fire risk assessment?
Type 1 to Type 4 — explained simply
HMO and flat assessments come in four "types," and the confusion is common. Here's the plain version. Most standard HMOs need one of the first two — and those are the two I carry out.
The shared hallways, stairs, landings and escape routes — the parts everyone depends on to get out. This is the baseline that satisfies the Fire Safety Order, and what most standard HMOs need.
I carry this outEverything in a Type 1, plus a representative sample of the individual let rooms. Used where there's reason to check what's happening inside the lettings, not just the shared areas.
I carry this outType 2 and Type 4 are intrusive — they involve opening up the fabric of the building to check concealed compartmentation, and need different equipment and competence. Those I don't take on; I refer them to assessors set up for intrusive work. Honest scope protects you, your tenants, and me — and it's exactly the judgement a competent assessment is supposed to show.
For the full breakdown, see our guide to the four types of fire risk assessment.
In an HMO, the risk is different
People are asleep. There's usually one protected staircase that everyone on every floor depends on. And you can't control how tenants behave inside their own rooms — so the physical fire safety has to be robust enough to cope with real life.
A sleeping occupant needs time to wake, react and get out. That's a tighter margin than any office ever faces, and it changes what "adequate" looks like.
If the protection between the rooms and that single staircase fails, the whole escape plan fails with it. That's where I spend the most time.
Charging, cooking, wedged-open fire doors, candles. A good assessment assumes real behaviour, not ideal behaviour.
Transparent, fixed pricing
Priced by the number of rented rooms and shown upfront. No VAT surprises, no mileage charges in Hampshire & Dorset, and you pay nothing until your finalised report is delivered.
Get your fixed price
Fixed price, no upfront payment. You only pay once you're happy with your report.
Serving Hampshire & Dorset — including Southampton, Eastleigh, Portsmouth and Bournemouth. See all areas.
A report your council will accept
A narrative report to BS 9792:2025 and LACORS that describes the property, rates the risk with clear reasoning, and gives you a prioritised action plan — ready to submit with a licence application. Here's what it looks like.
The actual document you'll receive.
Tap a page to read it full size.
Matt McAllen
CMIOSH (Chartered) · AIFSM · Level 3 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment
I personally carry out every HMO assessment, working to BS 9792:2025 with reference to LACORS. I'm straight about scope — Type 1 and Type 3, non-intrusive — and I refer out the large blocks and complex conversions that need intrusive work. No team, no subcontracting, no sales pitch attached.
HMO & landlord — your questions
Do I need one for a single flat?
A self-contained single flat let to one household isn't an HMO and doesn't need its own assessment. But if the building has shared parts used by more than one household — an HMO, or a block of flats — those common parts do. Tell me about the property and I'll confirm where you stand.
Are the tenants' own rooms assessed?
In a Type 1, no — it covers the common parts. In a Type 3, a representative sample of rooms is included. I'll advise which is right for your property when you enquire.
Will this satisfy my HMO licence application?
Yes. The report is produced to the standard councils expect for licensing, and is ready to submit alongside your gas, electrical and floor-plan documents. It's backed by my 100% approval guarantee.
What about a block of flats rather than an HMO?
The common parts of a block also need an assessment. For smaller blocks I can usually help; for large or high-rise blocks that need intrusive work, I'll tell you honestly and point you to an assessor equipped for it.
How often do I need one?
Review it at least every twelve months, and sooner if anything significant changes — a new tenant layout, a converted room, new works, or a change in how the property is used.
Find out what your assessment costs
A few quick details, a price confirmed, and a date that suits you. No upfront payment, ever.
Independent · Chartered · Hampshire & Dorset