LANDLORDS, HMOS AND BUSINESSES
A record that holds up when it’s checked.
Fire risk assessments for landlords, HMOs and businesses across Bristol and Bath, written to the standard your insurer and local authority actually expect.
- Written report with prioritised actions
- Visited by an assessor
- Covers the written record the law has required since October 2023
SERVICES
Fire risk assessments for the buildings Bristol landlords and businesses manage.
HMO fire safety
Assessments for shared houses, including what Bristol’s licensing schemes expect to see.
HMO guideLandlords & flats
Blocks of flats, communal areas and who holds the duty in a rented building.
Landlord guideCommercial premises
Shops, offices, restaurants and workplaces that need a written assessment.
Commercial guideFire door inspections
What gets checked, how often, and what the 2022 regulations require for flats.
Fire door guideFRA reviews
When an existing assessment needs reviewing, and what triggers a fresh one.
Review guideBath
Fire risk assessments for landlords and businesses in Bath.
Bath pageEvacuation strategies
Stay put, simultaneous or phased: how the strategy is chosen and what residents must be told.
Strategy guideFire strategy reports
What a design-stage fire strategy contains and how it differs from an assessment.
Strategy reports01 / ENQUIRY
Tell us about your property.
Share a few details and we’ll get back to you about an assessment.
Or call 0117 463 7863.
Or email hello@fire-risk-assessment-bristol.co.uk.
BRISTOL & BATHWho needs a fire risk assessment in Bristol?
Anyone responsible for non-domestic premises, or the shared parts of a block of flats or HMO, must carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. That means employers, landlords, managing agents and anyone who controls the building.
Since 1 October 2023 the full assessment must be written down, however small the premises. The record must also name the person who did the assessment, and their organisation if it was an outside firm.
What fire safety rules apply in Bristol?
The Fire Safety Order sets the core duty, and Avon Fire & Rescue Service is the enforcing authority for most premises in Bristol.
Blocks of flats carry extra duties in England. Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, buildings over 11 metres must have communal fire doors checked quarterly and flat entrance doors checked annually, on a best-endeavours basis. In every multi-occupied residential building, residents must receive fire safety instructions and information about the importance of fire doors.
Bristol also runs a citywide additional licensing scheme for smaller HMOs of three or four sharers, alongside an earlier scheme covering Bedminster, Brislington West and Horfield since 2022. Selective licensing, covering most other private rentals regardless of tenant numbers, applies in Bedminster and Brislington West, and separately in Bishopston and Ashley Down, Cotham and Easton. Check with Bristol City Council which schemes cover your address.
How to book
- 01
Send us the property address, how it’s used, its approximate size and any deadline from an insurer, landlord or licence renewal.
- 02
We’ll match you with an assessor.
- 03
After the visit you receive a written report with prioritised actions, which is the record the law now requires.
Our assessor covers Bristol and Bath. We’ll talk you through what your property actually needs before anything’s booked.
Need an assessment for a Bristol or Bath property?
We’ll talk through what the property needs before anything is booked.
Frequently asked questions
Is a fire risk assessment a legal requirement in Bristol?
Yes, for non-domestic premises and the common parts of residential buildings. The responsible person must carry one out and keep the full record.
Who's responsible in a rented building?
Usually the landlord or whoever controls the common parts. A managing agent can share the duty depending on how much control they have. Inside a single-let home, the landlord’s duties come mainly from housing law, such as the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations, rather than the Fire Safety Order.
Does a licensed HMO still need one?
Yes. The licence and the assessment are separate.
Do I need a new assessment after changes?
The Order requires the assessment to be kept under review. Changes to layout, use or occupancy are reasons to revisit it.
Can I do my own?
The law allows it if the assessment is suitable and sufficient and you’re competent. For HMOs, flats above shops, kitchens or shared escape routes, most people bring in an assessor.
How much does a fire risk assessment cost in Bristol?
Typical published prices run from about £200 to £600 for a small HMO, flat, shop or office, and rise for larger buildings. These are not a quote. See our cost guide for the ranges and what moves the price.
Do you cover Bath as well as Bristol?
Yes. Our assessor covers Bath as well as Bristol. See our Bath fire risk assessment page for how HMO licensing, the Article 4 direction and listed buildings affect assessments there.