As the ‘Responsible Person’ for your holiday rental property, you have to ensure that you are following all necessary regulations so that you can rent your property to paying guests. We have summarised this information for you which you can access by clicking on the headings below.
We hope this will be helpful for you, but if you have any questions, please contact your Compliance Team using one of these links.
You will need to carry out a risk assessment that covers the property generally and is in addition to the mandatory Fire Risk Assessment. Completing a risk assessment does not require any formal training or ‘special’ health and safety language. You are looking to identify any hazard inside and outside the property that may cause harm or injury to anyone at the property, state what you are doing to reduce the risk of an injury happening, and if you identify anything you need to be doing include an action plan with a timescale for completing any works. A simple template for this can be accessed here
It is important that you contact your existing insurer to inform them that your property will be used as a holiday let and the dates it will be available. You should also tell them if you have an electric vehicle charging point, private water supply or CCTV. If you have a swimming pool or hot tub, you should provide a disclaimer and rules for use for your guests which we can send to them and/or provide at the property.
We require every property we offer to the holiday letting market to have adequate Public Liability Insurance. Please arrange with your insurer that you are covered for a minimum liability of £2,000,000 for less than eight guests and that this cover is in place when paying guests are occupying your property. For properties accommodating more than eight guests, we recommend a minimum Public Liability cover of £5,000,000.
It is likely that there will be a small additional premium payable to accommodate holiday letting of your property. Should you find that your current insurer will not cover your property for holiday letting, there are a variety of insurers that will provide a suitable policy. We would suggest that you consider contacting the NFU, Boshers or i4me.
While we accept that you want to ensure the security of your property, CCTV should not be used inside your property or any outside building. If you do have CCTV, which includes a video doorbell, you will need to be registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and complete our CCTV Declaration document.
More information on what you need to consider is here.
If you have a TV or any form of music system at your property, you may need specific licences to cover their use. If you have a streaming account such as BBC iPlayer or Netflix, you should ensure your accounts are not able to be used by your guests to avoid expensive licences.
Visit Britain gives you more information.
The HSE has published a document which gives information on how to manage swimming pool safety. It may be accessed here
PWTAG offer helpful information about managing hot tubs here
You will need to let your insurer know if you are planning to make your hot tub available for guests to use, and also provide a set of rules and a disclaimer for guests which we can send to them in advance of their stay and/or make available at the property. Please click here for a simple template that should be completed and emailed to your Compliance Team.
Date Updated: 07/05/2024
The regulations around saunas are less than for hot tubs and swimming pools, but you must still ensure they are installed according to manufacturer’s recommendations, serviced regularly, and appropriate safety information is provided. This can be via a standard poster which you can obtain from here or a similar stockist.
You will need to let your insurer know if you are planning to make your sauna available for guests to use, and also provide a set of rules and a disclaimer for guests which we can send to them in advance of their stay and/or make available at the property. Please email your Compliance Team if you need this template document.
The HSE has published a document which gives information on how to manage swimming pool safety. It may be accessed here
In addition, PWTAG also offer helpful information here
You will need to let your insurer know if you are planning to make your pool available for guests to use, and also provide a set of rules and a disclaimer for guests which we can send to them in advance of their stay and/or make available at the property. Please click for here for a simple template that should be completed and emailed to your Compliance Team.
If you let your property out as a Furnished Holiday Let for short term rentals of less than 31 days per let for a combined total of at least four months in a single year, it is likely that you will need an EPC with a rating of E or better, unless you can demonstrate an exemption. We would advise you to obtain a certificate if required.
For Scottish properties, you cannot rent out your property unless you have an EPC.
If your property is in Scotland, from 1 October 2023 you must have a licence before you offer short-term lets. You must have a licence before you can take bookings or receive guests and it is a criminal offence if you do not have one. From 1 October 2023 all new hosts must have a licence before you can accept bookings and welcome guests. Councils have up to 9 months to process applications for new hosts. If you were already using your accommodation to provide short-term lets before 1 October 2022 and applied for a licence before 1 October 2023, you can continue letting your accommodation while the council is processing your application, and they have up to 12 months to do so. If you were a host before 1 October 2022 and have not yet applied for a licence, you must stop accepting bookings and welcoming guests until you have a licence. More information on the Scottish scheme is here.
There currently is no formal licencing scheme in England and Wales. We believe one will be announced later in 2024, and while it might be based on the Scottish Scheme, this is far from certain. Please check back here at a later date for updated information which we will upload as soon as it is available
If your property sleeps 10 guests or less, over no more than two floors, and has no open-plan living areas, then the current Government guidance can be accessed here here
If your property sleeps more than 10 guests, over three or more floors, and has open-plan living areas, then the current Government guidance can be accessed here
All properties, regardless of size, are required to comply with whichever guidance your property falls under. If you are unsure which document applies to your property, please contact your Compliance Team who will assist you.
Please note that we are awaiting Government guidance specifically relating to open plan smaller properties who currently don’t fall under the smaller property guidance. As soon as we have this, we will upload the information here.
It is a legal requirement for all sizes of property receiving paying guests to hold a number of valid safety documents, with the FRA being a key part of the documentation required. If you do not have a valid FRA for your property, you are legally not allowed to let it to paying guests.
Smaller properties: All self-catering holiday rental properties sleeping up to 10 guests (excluding infants in cots) , in a single premises of up to ground and first floor, with no more than four bedrooms on the first floor and no open-plan living areas in England fall under the guidance for smaller properties which can be accessed here
The guidance for properties of this size in Wales can be accessed here
We have prepared a FRA template for you to complete which is based on the one provided by the English Government, but with added notes to make it easier for you to reference the Government guidance document. You can request this here and complete it yourself and return it to us.
Larger and open plan properties: If your property has open plan living arrangements or is larger than 4 bedrooms sleeping more than 10 guests, or is on three floors or more, then the guidance here applies. In these circumstances we suggest you engage an external fire risk assessor to complete this for you. We may be able to recommend one for you, or you can contact the Institute of Fire Safety Managers or the Institution of Fire Engineers to find a suitable assessor.
This refers to the route your guests will take to leave the property in an emergency. They should be suitable for use by disabled and other vulnerable people such as the elderly and children. Doors opening onto an exit route should ideally be kept closed at night to prevent fire spreading. They must be kept clear of unnecessary items, and especially combustible items such as linen unless they are stored in a cupboard with a close-fitting door or a non-flammable storage box. The exit routes should be as short as possible and must be checked that they are clear on every changeover.
The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 came into force on 1 October 2015. They require as a minimum that a smoke detector is fitted on each floor in rental properties. This is known as a domestic system, and they should be tested at a minimum once a month and you should write down that the test has been carried out.
The new guidance for smaller holiday rental properties states that while this type of domestic detection system is acceptable in the very short term, to be able to rent to paying guests you should fit an alarm/detection system that is interlinked (by radio or Bluetooth), with a heat detector in the kitchen and smoke detectors in each hallway, corridor, staircase, lounge, dining room and every bedroom. A mains powered system with battery backup (LD1 system) is preferred, but a system powered with long life, sealed batteries (F1 system) may be permissible as a short-term measure for 2-3 years. An inter-linked system simply means that if one detector sounds, all detectors in the property will also sound, ensuring all occupants are aware of the alarm. This type of system should be tested every week or on changeover, and you should write down that you have done so.
Larger and open plan properties may require a more complex system with a central panel that is always mains powered and this should be serviced by a competent contractor every 6 months. We suggest you contact a qualified fire risk assessor to advise you on the category of fire warning system that you will need before obtaining quotes from a fire alarm company so that you can ensure that the alarm company is quoting for the correct system.
This link https://surreyfire.co.uk/fire-alarm-categories/ provides you with helpful information on the different categories of fire alarm system.
A fire door may be required to areas of higher risk such as plant rooms, but in smaller properties provided the doors are solid timber or timber with a flax board or chipboard centre, have fire-resisting glass in them, and fit solidly in their frames with no gaps around them, this may well be sufficient. Larger properties may require fire doors on exit routes, but we suggest you ask advice from a qualified fire risk assessor if you are in doubt. Internal doors within a property should not be thin/single panel or have a hollow or hollow core/honeycomb centre to them. Please click here for more information on the type of internal door that your property might have.
A fire extinguisher is used to clear an exit from a property if there is a fire, rather than necessarily to extinguish a fire. For smaller properties, providing a fire extinguisher and blanket is optional, but for smaller open plan properties these may be required if you don’t have a sprinkler/water mist system in place.
Larger properties will usually require an extinguisher on every landing and a fire blanket in the kitchen which is wall mounted, and usually sited between the cooker/hob and the exit door.
If fire extinguishers are fitted, they should be foam or multi-fire type and not powder. If they have been fitted by a fire extinguisher company, they will need a servicing certificate every year. If domestic type extinguishers have been purchased by you, you will need to check them on each changeover and at least annually to ensure the pressure is still adequate and they are ‘in date’ and write down that you have carried out this check.
The Furniture & Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988/1989, 1993 and 2010 set levels of fire resistance for domestic upholstered furniture, furnishings and other products containing upholstery if they have been purchased new since 1990.
Regardless of the size of your property, the law requires that you give suitable information to your guests about what they should do if there is a fire at your property. This includes how they would leave the property, where they should meet outside and away from the building, and the location of the property so they can direct the Fire Service to them. Larger buildings with more than one or two exits should also have a fire escape plan, but smaller ones may also have this. We will provide you with our standard Fire Notice which should be displayed near the exit door or as the first page in your Property Information Folder, but you are responsible for providing any other information that might be necessary to ensure your guests are properly informed.
The regulations require doors that exit the property should be capable of being operated from the inside without a key. Thumb turn locks (or turn and release locks) for UPVC doors are very easy to fit, and Yale-type locks may be more suitable for timber doors. If your door is heritage, or a bespoke design, we recommend that you discuss how you can achieve this with a qualified fire risk assessor.
This is usually not required in smaller properties, unless they have an open plan living area. If they do have an open plan area, we recommend that you receive specific advice on how you can comply with the regulations from a qualified fire risk assessor.
Larger properties may well require a sprinkler/water mist system, depending on their layout. Again, we recommend seeking advice from a qualified fire risk assessor.
If a sprinkler/water mist system is fitted in your property, this must be serviced by a competent contractor every year, with a copy of the service certificate kept by you.
Waste paper bins should be made of a non-flammable material (metal, plastic, or wood) with a non-flammable lining such as metal. Straw, raffia or any type of paper should be avoided.
Traditional gas and electric fired AGAs should be serviced every 12 months to ensure they are working correctly and are safe for guests to use. Oil fired units should be serviced every 6 months. You should keep a record of all of your servicing.
The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 came into force on 1 October 2022. While this legislation specifically applies to landlords in the general housing sector, the smaller property fire guidance makes it clear that they must also be fitted in holiday rental properties. You must have a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation which contains a fixed combustion appliance where carbon is generated. This includes open fires, wood burning stoves, gas or oil boilers and agas. They should be tested on each changeover, you should write down that you have carried out the test, and replace any faulty detectors. Please note that the older colour-change or ‘spot’ detectors are no longer allowed.
Any chimney sweep inspection by a HETAS registered sweep will check not just the chimney/flue, but also the stove for a wood burner and any back plates and hearths and report on their condition. A Building Control certificate should be available for any newly installed wood burning stoves, etc. Many insurers make this a requirement of the home insurance remaining valid. We suggest you check your insurance policy for your insurers requirements, but it should be carried out annually if the item is being used. Please click here to find a chimney sweep near you.
PAT testing for electrical items over 1 year old must be completed for properties of over 4 bedrooms and sleeping more than 10 people. In Scotland, a PAT test is required for all properties regardless of size, and it may also become a legal requirement in England and Wales once statutory regulation is in place.
Whilst a PAT certificate is not strictly required for all appliances in smaller properties under the new guidance every year, provided you or a competent contractor carries out a formal annual visual inspection of each appliance and records that you/they have done so in a way that can be retrieved when asked for, this may well be considered sufficient.
The HSE has produced a useful document giving information on how you should go about deciding if PAT testing is needed and how often it should be carried out. You can access it here.
A new regulation that came into force on 1 June 2020 stated that all privately rented properties must have a valid Electric Installation Condition Report [EICR] in place by 1 April 2021. While it did not specifically require holiday rentals to have it, as the holiday rental Owner you are legally required to ensure that all electrical circuits, and fixed installations within your property are safe and not hazardous to your guests, and you must use a competent electrical contractor to do this. An EICR is commonly accepted as being the best way to ensure these items are safe and satisfactory, and it must be carried out every 5 years. More information on EICR’s and what to look for with your electrical cables, fuse boxes, switches and sockets in your property may be found here
If you want to advertise an EV charging point at your property, an electrical cable connected to a domestic 3-pin supply, known as a ‘granny cable’ is strictly forbidden due to the potential risk of fire. Any home EV charging point must be properly installed in a suitable location by a competent contractor for us to be able to advertise it for you. You should tell guests how to use it in your Property Information Folder.
All properties should consider if there is enough lighting to exit a property if a fire interrupts the electricity supply. For example, there might be a street light outside which remains illuminated all night which might have enough light to see with.
If you have a smaller property, you may wish to use plug-in emergency torches that have internal batteries and illuminate if the electricity fails. If you fit these, you should do so in each bedroom and have a sign that explains how to use them. These should be tested monthly and you should write down that you have done so.
Larger properties may replace ceiling or wall light fittings with emergency escape lights that have internal batteries that power the light if the electricity fails. The largest properties may need some form of wired-in separate emergency lighting system which illuminates if the electricity fails. These specialist systems should be tested every month and serviced by a competent external contractor every year.
This includes all types of electric, gas, oil and renewable energy (solar, ground and air source heat pumps, etc) systems. Heating and hot water systems should have an annual service (or be serviced in line with manufacturer’s requirements) by a qualified contractor to ensure they are maintained in good condition. This is usually in addition to a Gas Safe certificate for natural gas and LPG items which is often issued at the same time.
