Does my Bristol HMO need a fire risk assessment as well as a licence?

Does my HMO need a licence in Bristol?

Any HMO with five or more people is covered by mandatory licensing across the whole of Bristol. Smaller HMOs of three or four people need an additional licence too, either under the citywide scheme running since 6 August 2024, or under the earlier scheme covering Bedminster, Brislington West and Horfield, which has run since 6 April 2022. Some non-HMO rentals in these areas also need a selective licence, regardless of the number of tenants. For the council’s fees, see what an HMO licence costs in Bristol.

Is a fire risk assessment the same thing as an HMO licence?

No. The licence and the fire risk assessment are separate legal requirements. The Fire Safety Order requires an assessment of the shared parts regardless of whether the property is licensed. Bristol’s application page does not list an assessment as a required document, but the council publishes its own fire safety standards for licensed HMOs, and a fire risk assessment by a competent person can be submitted for the council’s approval as an alternative to its tables.

What does an HMO fire risk assessment look at?

The assessor walks the whole building and records what is in place and what is missing. For a shared house that usually means the escape route from every bedroom, the protection on that route, the fire alarm and its coverage, emergency lighting where it is needed, the kitchen, and anything stored in hallways or on stairs.

It also covers how the building is managed: whether alarms and doors are tested and maintained, whether tenants are told what to do in a fire, and whether anyone living there would struggle to get out unaided.

What makes an HMO assessment different from a single-let one?

The main difference is the shared spaces and multiple households. An HMO assessment looks closely at individual bedroom fire doors, shared kitchens and bathrooms, and the single escape route several unrelated occupants rely on together, rather than one household’s own exits.

Do I need planning permission to convert a property into an HMO?

In parts of Bristol, yes. Article 4 directions remove the usual permitted development rights for converting a family home into a small HMO in certain areas. This sits alongside, not instead of, the licensing and fire safety requirements.

When does an HMO fire risk assessment need updating?

Common triggers are a change of tenants, an additional letting room, new fire doors or alarm work, or a licence renewal. The assessment has no fixed expiry date and needs regular review, but an out-of-date one is treated the same as having none.

Are student HMOs assessed differently?

The legal requirements are the same, but the assessment has to account for how the property’s actually used. Higher cooking activity, annual tenant turnover, and inconsistent response to fire alarms are common factors in student housing, which affects what the assessment recommends in practice, not the underlying duty itself.

What do I get at the end?

A written report that names the assessor, records the hazards and who is at risk, and lists the actions in priority order. It is the record an insurer or enforcing officer may ask to see. The visit is carried out by our assessor, who covers Bristol and Bath.