Send your HMO enquiry
HMO assessments in Reigate
HMO fire risk assessment in Reigate
A council letter asking for an HMO fire risk assessment in Reigate needs a clear response. Landlords and letting agents can send an enquiry here to arrange the visit. The specialist firm handling house share fire assessment Surrey work will confirm dates directly.
- Written for licensing submissions
- Covers shared areas and escape routes
- Fits around tenant schedules
What the assessor looks for in a house share
Signs that look minor in a single household carry different weight when rooms are let individually. A shared house changes how fire spreads and how people escape.
- Bedroom doors without self-closers
- Rooms opening onto a shared hallway usually need closers to hold back smoke. An inspection confirms whether replacements or adjustments are required.
- No alarms linking between floors
- Licensing conditions often expect interlinked detection so a warning on one floor reaches every bedroom. The report states what shared house fire alarm grade applies.
- Boxes stacked along the stairs
- Escape routes must stay clear at all times. Even temporary storage on landings is flagged because it blocks the path out during a fire.
- Gaps around pipes in the walls
- Openings where services pass through walls allow smoke to travel between rooms. Sealing them restores the barrier and stops fire spreading unseen.
How the HMO assessment works
The visit follows a set sequence so every part of the rented home is checked against current requirements.
Booking the visit
The landlord or letting agent arranges access with tenants, since the assessor needs entry to each room and shared space.
Walking the building
Every bedroom, the kitchen, hallways and the route from the top floor down are inspected for hazards and barriers.
Writing the report
Findings go into a document formatted as a landlord fire report for licence applications, sent to the licensing team.
Advising on next steps
If fire doors in rented house share rooms or new alarms are needed, the report specifies exactly what to do.
Related checks for landlords
Fire Door Inspection
When existing doors need checking for gaps, seals and hinges.
Compartmentation Survey
For walls and voids where smoke might travel between rooms.
Evacuation Plans
When the layout requires a written escape route for occupants.
Student Housing Guide
Explains duties specific to student lets and shared houses.
HMO assessment or standard fire risk assessment
Both produce a written record, but the scope differs depending on who lives in the building and why the report is needed.
| HMO assessment | Standard assessment | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | HMO assessmentHouses let by the room to three or more unrelated people. | Standard assessmentSingle households, offices or buildings without individual room lets. |
| Council involvement | HMO assessmentOften requested to satisfy HMO licence fire requirements Reigate sets. | Standard assessmentUsually arranged by the responsible person without a licensing trigger. |
| Areas covered | HMO assessmentEach bedroom, shared kitchen, bathrooms and every escape route. | Standard assessmentCommunal parts and the building shell rather than private living spaces. |
| Alarm expectations | HMO assessmentTypically expects interlinked detection across all floors and rooms. | Standard assessmentDepends on the building type and may not require linked devices. |
The specialist firm advises which report suits after reviewing the tenancy setup and any council correspondence.
HMO assessments around Reigate
Enquiries are taken for houses in Reigate itself. Separate specialist firms also cover neighbouring towns where councils apply similar licensing conditions for shared housing.
Send an enquiry if the house share sits just outside these areas and check whether coverage extends there.