Hotels, B&Bs, guest houses, and serviced accommodation face some of the most challenging fire safety requirements of any commercial premises. Your guests are sleeping in an unfamiliar building, often unaware of escape routes, and potentially impaired by alcohol or tiredness. Getting fire safety right isn't just a legal requirement — it's essential for protecting lives.
This guide covers everything accommodation providers need to know about fire safety compliance in the UK.
Key Points for Hotel and B&B Fire Safety:
- Hotels and B&Bs are classified as higher-risk premises because guests are sleeping and unfamiliar with the building
- A written fire risk assessment is mandatory and must be reviewed regularly
- L2 fire detection systems are typically required for sleeping accommodation
- All bedroom doors must be fire doors with self-closing devices
- Emergency lighting and clear signage are essential for unfamiliar guests
- Staff must receive fire safety training, including night porters
- Fire safety information must be provided to all guests
- Small B&Bs have different requirements from large hotels, but the Fire Safety Order applies to all
Why hotels and B&Bs are higher risk
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to all premises where people sleep for payment. Hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, hostels, and serviced apartments all fall under this legislation. These premises are considered higher risk for several important reasons.
Sleeping occupants
People are most vulnerable to fire when asleep. They cannot smell smoke while sleeping, and the transition from deep sleep to full alertness takes critical time. In a hotel, dozens or even hundreds of guests may be asleep simultaneously, all relying on your fire safety systems to wake them.
Unfamiliarity with the building
Unlike offices where people work daily, hotel guests arrive, check in, and may never look at the escape route information. They don't know where the stairs are, which doors lead outside, or how to operate unfamiliar door handles in smoke-filled darkness. This unfamiliarity dramatically increases evacuation time and the risk of people making wrong decisions.
Variable occupancy
Guest numbers change nightly. One evening you might have three guests; the next, you're fully booked with 50. Your fire safety arrangements must work for all scenarios, including the worst case.
Diverse guest profiles
Guests may include elderly visitors, people with mobility impairments, families with young children, visitors with hearing or visual impairments, and guests who don't speak English. Each group presents different challenges for fire warning and evacuation.
Alcohol consumption
Many hotels have bars or restaurants. Guests who have been drinking may be slower to wake, slower to react, and may make poor decisions during evacuation.
Fire service statistics show that fires in hotels and B&Bs frequently occur at night when guests are sleeping. The combination of sleeping occupants and unfamiliar surroundings makes early detection and clear escape routes absolutely critical.
Fire risk assessment for sleeping accommodation
Every hotel, B&B, and guest house must have a fire risk assessment under the Fire Safety Order 2005. For sleeping accommodation, this assessment requires particular attention to specific risks.
What your assessment must cover
Identification of fire hazards:
- Kitchen and food preparation areas (highest risk in most hotels)
- Laundry facilities and linen storage
- Electrical installations and portable appliances in guest rooms
- Smoking (where permitted) and discarded cigarettes
- Portable heaters (should generally be prohibited)
- Candles and decorative items
- Arson risk from external sources
People at risk:
- All guests (remember they're asleep for 8+ hours)
- Staff members
- Contractors and delivery personnel
- Visitors to public areas (restaurants, bars, function rooms)
- Anyone who might need assistance evacuating
Existing fire precautions:
- Fire detection and alarm systems
- Emergency lighting
- Fire doors and compartmentation
- Escape routes and exit signage
- Firefighting equipment
- Staff training and procedures
Action plan:
- Identified improvements with priorities
- Responsible person for each action
- Target completion dates
- Budget allocation
Who should conduct the assessment?
For hotels and B&Bs, professional fire risk assessment is strongly recommended. The complexity of sleeping accommodation, combined with the serious consequences of inadequate fire safety, makes DIY assessments inadvisable.
Look for assessors with:
- Registration with professional bodies (IFE, IFSM, CFPA)
- Third-party certification (e.g., BAFE SP205)
- Specific experience with hotels and hospitality premises
- Good references from similar businesses
Expect to pay between £300 and £800 depending on property size and complexity.
Review frequency
Review your fire risk assessment:
- At least annually for hotels and B&Bs
- After any fire, near-miss, or false alarm
- When you change the building (alterations, new rooms, changed use)
- When occupancy patterns change significantly
- If the fire service raises concerns
Fire detection systems — typically L2 required
Hotels and B&Bs require more comprehensive fire detection than typical commercial premises. Under BS 5839-1, an L2 category system is typically required for sleeping accommodation.
What L2 means
L2 provides protection in:
- All escape routes (corridors, stairways, hallways)
- All rooms opening onto escape routes (including bedrooms)
- Rooms with high fire risk (kitchens, plant rooms, laundry)
This ensures fire detection in the most likely places a fire could start and the routes guests need to use for escape.
System specifications for hotels
Detector types:
- Smoke detectors in all corridors and circulation areas
- Smoke detectors in bedrooms (optical type to reduce false alarms)
- Heat detectors in kitchens, bathrooms, and areas prone to false alarms
- Multi-sensor detectors increasingly common in modern installations
System grade:
- Grade A system (with control panel) typically required for larger hotels
- Grade D (interconnected mains-powered alarms) may be acceptable for very small B&Bs
- Your fire risk assessment and local fire authority will specify requirements
Sounder levels:
- 75dB(A) minimum at the bedhead in sleeping accommodation
- This is higher than standard commercial requirements (65dB)
- Essential to wake sleeping guests
A guest asleep with the door closed needs a loud alarm to wake them. Sounders in corridors alone may not be sufficient. Many hotels install sounders within bedrooms or use alarm systems that activate door-mounted sounders.
Testing requirements
- Weekly functional tests (different call point each week)
- Six-monthly servicing by qualified engineer
- Annual full inspection and testing of all devices
- Records maintained in fire alarm logbook
Bedroom fire doors — self-closing requirements
Fire doors are one of the most critical elements of hotel fire safety. Every bedroom door should be a fire door that closes automatically.
Why bedroom fire doors matter
If a fire starts in one bedroom, the fire door:
- Contains the fire within that room
- Prevents smoke spreading into the escape corridor
- Gives guests in other rooms time to evacuate
- Protects the escape route so people can get out safely
Specification requirements
Bedroom doors should be:
- FD30 minimum (30-minute fire resistance)
- Fitted with intumescent strips and smoke seals
- Fitted with self-closing devices (overhead closers or rising butt hinges)
- Able to close fully into the frame and latch
Common issues found in hotels:
- Self-closers removed because guests complain
- Doors wedged open for convenience
- Gaps too large around the door frame
- Intumescent strips painted over or missing
- Latches not engaging properly
Removing self-closers from bedroom fire doors is a serious breach of fire safety law. If guests complain about doors, explain the safety reason. Never compromise fire doors to improve guest comfort — the consequences can be fatal.
Fire doors elsewhere
Beyond bedrooms, fire doors are also required:
- On kitchen doors (to contain the highest-risk area)
- On storeroom and plant room doors
- Separating different sections of corridors
- At stairwell entrances and exits
- Protecting any means of escape
Emergency lighting and signage for guests
Guests unfamiliar with your building need clear guidance to escape safely, especially if a fire occurs at night during a power cut.
Emergency lighting requirements
Emergency escape lighting is essential in:
- All corridors and circulation areas
- All stairwells
- At changes of direction
- At final exit doors
- In areas that would be dark during power failure
Specifications:
- Minimum 3-hour duration (BS 5266)
- Monthly function tests
- Annual full discharge tests
- Records maintained
Exit signage
All exit routes must be clearly signed:
- Illuminated exit signs at each exit
- Directional signs showing route to exits
- Signs visible from anywhere on the escape route
- Signs maintained and working
In bedrooms:
- Fire action notice on the back of each bedroom door
- Clear diagram showing escape routes
- Instructions in multiple languages if you have international guests
Evacuation procedures for hotels
Hotels require carefully planned evacuation procedures that account for sleeping guests who are unfamiliar with the building.
Evacuation strategy
Most hotels use simultaneous evacuation — when the alarm sounds, everyone evacuates immediately. This is the safest approach for sleeping accommodation where guests cannot be expected to make informed decisions about whether to stay or go.
Key elements:
- All guests evacuate immediately when alarm sounds
- Staff trained to assist and direct guests
- Assembly point identified away from the building
- Roll call or accounting system for guests
- Procedures for guests who don't respond
Night-time considerations
Fires at night are particularly dangerous:
- Guests deeply asleep and slow to wake
- Corridors and stairs may be dark
- Guests may be disoriented or intoxicated
- Fewer staff on duty
Your evacuation procedures must address these challenges specifically.
Guests with disabilities
You must have procedures for evacuating guests who need assistance:
- Identify guests who might need help at check-in
- Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for guests with mobility impairments
- Evacuation chairs or refuges where appropriate
- Staff trained in assisted evacuation
- Communication with guests who have hearing impairments
Staff training and night porter responsibilities
Staff are your first line of defence in a fire. Every member of staff must understand their fire safety responsibilities.
Training requirements
All staff should receive training on:
- Fire hazards in your premises
- Actions on discovering a fire
- Actions on hearing the fire alarm
- Location of fire alarm call points
- Location of firefighting equipment (if they're expected to use it)
- Escape routes and assembly points
- Assisting guests to evacuate
Fire wardens should additionally know:
- How to sweep areas and check rooms
- How to use firefighting equipment
- How to assist guests with disabilities
- How to liaise with fire service
Night porter responsibilities
The night porter or night manager has critical fire safety duties:
- Monitoring the fire alarm panel
- Responding immediately to any alarm activation
- Investigating alarms and calling the fire service
- Initiating evacuation if required
- Knowing where all guests are located
- Assisting with evacuation
A single night porter cannot effectively evacuate a large hotel alone. Your fire risk assessment should determine appropriate staffing levels for night-time fire safety, or identify compensating measures like enhanced automatic systems or fire service notification.
Training records
Maintain records of:
- Who has been trained
- What training they received
- When training occurred
- Refresher training dates
Fire safety training should be refreshed at least annually and whenever procedures change.
Fire safety information for guests
Guests need fire safety information, but they also need to be able to find and understand it quickly.
Essential information to provide
In each bedroom:
- Fire action notice (what to do if you discover a fire or hear the alarm)
- Escape route diagram showing the nearest exit
- Location of fire alarm call points
- Assembly point location
- Instructions not to use lifts
At check-in:
- Brief verbal orientation to fire safety
- Point out the nearest fire exit
- Explain the fire alarm sound
Throughout the building:
- Clear exit signage
- Fire action notices in public areas
- Assembly point signs
Language considerations
If you regularly host international guests:
- Use pictograms and symbols where possible
- Provide fire safety information in common guest languages
- Ensure signage is intuitive without needing to read text
Small B&Bs vs large hotels — different requirements
The Fire Safety Order applies to all paid sleeping accommodation, but the specific requirements vary based on size and risk.
Small B&Bs and guest houses (under 6 guests)
For very small properties:
- Fire risk assessment still required
- May be acceptable to have Grade D (interconnected) alarm system
- Bedroom fire doors still needed
- Emergency lighting in escape routes
- Simpler evacuation procedures may be acceptable
- Owner may be able to conduct own fire risk assessment (if competent)
However, don't assume "small" means "low risk." A small B&B in an old building with a single staircase may actually be higher risk than a modern hotel with multiple escape routes.
Medium hotels (6-30 guests)
- Professional fire risk assessment recommended
- L2 fire detection system typically required
- Fire doors on all bedrooms and risk rooms
- Emergency lighting throughout
- Trained staff on duty
- Documented procedures and training records
Large hotels (30+ guests)
- Professional fire risk assessment essential
- Grade A fire alarm system with zoning
- Voice alarm systems for phased evacuation in very large hotels
- Dedicated fire safety manager
- Regular fire drills
- Enhanced staffing for night-time
- Possible monitoring by Alarm Receiving Centre
Serviced apartments and Airbnb considerations
The growth of serviced apartments and short-let rentals through platforms like Airbnb has created fire safety challenges.
When the Fire Safety Order applies
The Fire Safety Order applies to:
- Serviced apartments provided as a business
- Short-let properties offered commercially
- Common areas of buildings containing short-lets
- Any accommodation provided for payment
It may not apply to:
- Occasional letting of your own home while you're away
- Spare room in your own occupied home (though other regulations may apply)
Key considerations for serviced apartments
Self-contained apartments:
- Each apartment should have its own smoke alarms (minimum Grade D LD3)
- Common areas require full Fire Safety Order compliance
- Fire doors between apartments and common areas
- Emergency lighting in common escape routes
Multiple apartments in one building:
- Building-wide fire strategy required
- Consider how a fire in one apartment affects others
- Common fire alarm may be required
- Management company typically responsible for common areas
If you let property through Airbnb or similar platforms, check your local authority's requirements. Many councils now require specific fire safety standards for short-let properties, and some have introduced licensing schemes.
Insurance implications
Insurers increasingly require evidence of fire safety compliance for:
- Fire risk assessment
- Appropriate fire detection
- Fire door certification
- Emergency lighting
- Staff training records
Failure to meet these requirements could invalidate your insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The Fire Safety Order 2005 applies to all premises where people sleep for payment, regardless of size. Even a small B&B with two guest rooms needs a fire risk assessment. The assessment may identify that simpler measures are adequate for a small property, but the legal duty to assess remains. You may be able to conduct the assessment yourself if you're competent, but professional assessment is recommended.
For small guest houses, a minimum of Grade D Category LD2 is typically required — meaning mains-powered, interconnected alarms with battery backup, covering escape routes and rooms with high fire risk (including bedrooms). Larger or higher-risk properties may need a full Grade A system with control panel. Your fire risk assessment should specify the appropriate system for your premises.
No. Fire doors must remain closed to provide protection. Guests should not be able to prop open fire doors, and you should check that self-closers are working and that wedges or doorstops haven't been used. If guests repeatedly prop doors open, you may need to fit hold-open devices linked to the fire alarm, which release automatically when the alarm sounds.
Fire extinguishers in guest areas are not always required, but your fire risk assessment should determine this. Many hotels and B&Bs provide extinguishers in corridors and near high-risk areas like kitchens. If you do provide them, they must be appropriate for the fire risks present and serviced annually. Staff should be trained in their use.
Next steps
If you operate a hotel, B&B, or any form of paid sleeping accommodation:
- Check your fire risk assessment — Is it current, comprehensive, and specific to your property?
- Review your fire detection system — Does it meet L2 standards for sleeping accommodation?
- Inspect your fire doors — Are they FD30-rated, do they self-close, and are seals intact?
- Check emergency lighting — Is it tested monthly and does it cover all escape routes?
- Review staff training — Is everyone trained, including night staff?
- Update guest information — Is fire safety information clear and visible in every room?
Resources:
- Fire Safety Compliance Guide — Comprehensive overview of fire safety requirements
- Fire Safety Self-Assessment Tool — Check your fire safety obligations
- What is a fire risk assessment? — Detailed guidance on assessment requirements
- Fire alarm systems explained — Understanding system categories and grades
Not confident your hotel or B&B meets fire safety standards? A qualified fire risk assessor specialising in hospitality can audit your property, identify deficiencies, and provide a clear action plan for compliance.
Related content:
- HMO fire safety requirements — Similar requirements for houses in multiple occupation
- Emergency lighting requirements — Detailed emergency lighting guidance
- Evacuation strategies — Different approaches to building evacuation
This article provides general guidance on fire safety requirements for hotels and B&Bs under UK law. It is not legal advice. Fire safety requirements can vary based on specific circumstances, building characteristics, and local authority interpretations. Always consult with a qualified fire risk assessor for advice specific to your property.