Sleeping Accommodation Fire Risk Assessments
Where people sleep, the risk is highest.
Fire in any building where people sleep carries a risk that daytime commercial premises simply don't have: occupants who are unconscious to the world around them, and who are often unfamiliar with the building they're in. Tenants, HMO residents, short-term let guests and hotel guests are all far slower to notice a fire and far less likely to know their nearest escape route than someone in their own home.
As a landlord, letting agent, block manager, short-term let operator or hotelier, you have a legal duty to assess and manage this risk under the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006, alongside HMO and short-term let licensing conditions where they apply. AJR Facilities Management carries out fire risk assessments for landlords, HMOs, residential blocks, short-term lets and hotels, built around the realities of who's actually asleep in the building and when.
Why Sleeping Accommodation Risk Is Different
- Sleeping occupants — fire detection has to work fast enough to wake someone before smoke does the damage
- Unfamiliar surroundings — tenants, HMO residents, short-term let guests and hotel guests often don't know escape routes, fire doors, or assembly points
- Higher guest turnover — short-term lets and hotels mean a constant flow of new occupants who've never had a fire safety induction for that building
- Shared and common areas — escape routes serving multiple households or guest rooms depend on doors, stairwells and corridors staying clear and fire-resistant
- Vulnerable occupants — age, mobility, alcohol, or simple unfamiliarity with the property can all slow an evacuation
What Our Assessment Covers
- Full walk-through of the property, including individual units/rooms and all common areas
- Review of fire detection and alarm coverage, including sleeping areas
- Means of escape assessment — routes, travel distances, and fire door condition
- Emergency lighting and escape signage in shared areas
- Compartmentation between units, guest rooms and communal spaces
- Guest and resident fire safety information — signage, instructions and induction on arrival
- Licence-specific checks where applicable (HMO conditions, short-term let licensing, occupancy levels)
- Written report with prioritised, practical recommendations
Why It Matters
Non-compliance can mean enforcement action, licence refusal or revocation, and invalidated insurance — but the real stakes are higher: anyone asleep in your building, whether a long-term tenant or a guest staying one night, relies entirely on the fire safety measures being right before they ever need them.
Our Process
- Get in touch — tell us about your property and how it's occupied
- Site visit — our assessor surveys units, guest rooms and common areas
- Report — you receive a clear, actionable report
- Review — we recommend a re-assessment schedule to keep you compliant
Or email sandy@ajrfm.co.uk directly.