fire safety concerns in my daughters flat

[ASHJ]

My daughter is a student in Bristol and renting a basement flat, when I visited her my main concern was the fire safety. The flat has a front door which is accessible incase of fire, but the back door is in her bedroom and opens up to a 15 foot wall with no escape provision. If a fire started in the front of the buiding she would not be able to escape. Is this legal.

[theartfullodger]

She, the tenant (ie not mum, dad or whoever..) should contact the local fireservice & express her concern (ie not mum's, dad's...) and ask if someone could pop round and give advice.

Depending on the area they can be very proactive & helpful: Came round to a house of mine, gave very sensible advice & handed out safer, free, extension leads...

As you have described it it doesn't sound good...

[mariner]

How many Ts are there? Joint and/or single ASTs?
How many storeys costitute the property?

As suggested ask fire btigade to do risk assessment.

[LesleyAnne]

I might be wrong, but fairly sure that since the new legislation on Fire Safety that came in a couple of years ago, the fire service no longer do risk assessments on residential properties. I believe the onus is now on the LL or Freeholder to carry out their own assessments.

Obviously, if this is an HMO, it will require smoke alarms and higher fire safety specs.

My letting property is in a converted warehouse building, with a communal entrance and stairway on each side of the building, serving 2 ground floor and 2 first floor flats - no rear exits to any flats, or fire escapes to top floor. Our freeholder did a full and thorough RA when the new regs came in, and we now have a heat activated sprinkler system installed in each flat, as well as emergency lighting and fire extinguishers. At the time he said this was a higher spec than the regulations stipulated, but with these things being reviewed and tightened all the time, it was good to be ahead of the game.

[Ericthelobster]

The flat has a front door which is accessible incase of fire, but the back door is in her bedroom and opens up to a 15 foot wall with no escape provision. If a fire started in the front of the buiding she would not be able to escape.

Is there a window she could get out of in the event of a fire?

[ASHJ]

Hi, she has a door at the back of the property with leads to an enclosed courtyard 5 x 2 foot with a 15 foot wall all around with railings on top so would not be able to escape. This is the only window/door. There is also no fire extinguishers, fire blankets. There is fire alarms in the open loungs (lounge/kitchen) bedroom and hall way. Fire doors are installed. But I am now wondering whether she has been renting a commercial building through a letting agency, where the fire regulations would be different than domestic... I have asked her to contact the letting agency to ask for the licence that it is a HMO. I have a gut feeling that the flats above have a licence but the basement does not

[ASHJ]

Hi,

there is poor safety precautions, no fire blanket, no extinguishers, no sprinkler system. Haven't slept well. If a fire did start in the front of the building she could not get out. The only exit is a door/window which leads to a 2 x 5 foot courtard with a fully enclosed 15 foot wall with railing on top. This is a HMO, how many students are putting their life a risk?????????????

[ASHJ]

Have just read my daughters contract with the tenancy agent, it appears the landlord has provided the electical efficiency and electrical safety reports for the ground floor flat in the tenancy agreement and not the basement flat where she is living. Will spend the next days talking with Bristol Council, something is not right here. Am a bit pissed that the letting agency did not notice this at a rent of £550 a month I expect a safe home

[LesleyAnne]

Have just read my daughters contract with the tenancy agent, it appears the landlord has provided the electical efficiency and electrical safety reports for the ground floor flat in the tenancy agreement and not the basement flat where she is living. Will spend the next days talking with Bristol Council, something is not right here. Am a bit pissed that the letting agency did not notice this at a rent of £550 a month I expect a safe home

With respect to the letting agent (you don't see me sticking up for them very often) they are employed by the LL to find a tenant. They do not check the safety of the property, its suitability to let or anything else - they just do what the LL tells them ... and sometimes not even that ...

Your daughter's issues are with the LL; they are the ones responsible for the safety of the property and any remedial works required.

[ASHJ]

thanks for all replies will keep people updated on the situation

[Ericthelobster]

Have just read my daughters contract with the tenancy agent, it appears the landlord has provided the electical efficiency and electrical safety reports for the ground floor flat in the tenancy agreement and not the basement flat where she is living.

Unless the property is an HMO, there is no requirement for any electrical safety checks or reports. I don't know what you mean by 'electrical efficiency' but if it's an 'energy performance certificate' then yes she should have been shown one for the property - however it has nothing whatever to do with safety (and arguably nothing to do with anything very much, but let's not go there...)