Safety regulations and tips

Current obligatory safety regulations for Hosts

Gas safety 

All Hosts have specific duties for gas safety. Even if a property is only rented for a short time, there are three specific duties for Hosts to keep their Guests safe.

1. Any gas equipment in your Digs must be safely installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
2. Gas safety checks:  An annual gas safety check must be carried out on every gas appliance and it's associated flue by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
3. Record keeping: Keep a record of the gas safety check for two years, and have a copy of the Gas Safety Record displayed in a prominent position within your Digs.  

For more information about this for Hosts in England, Wales and Scotland please visit the Health and Safety Executive website, for Hosts in Northern Ireland please visit the Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland website and for Hosts in Republic of Ireland visit the ISB.ie site.

Fire safety

All Hosts must have the following alarms in their Digs to help protect their Guests from the risks of fire.

1. Carbon Monoxide Alarm.  Since 1st October 2022 any room in your Digs used as living accommodation which contains a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers) must be equipped with a Carbon Monoxide Alarm. 
2. Smoke alarm.  Each floor of your Digs where there is a room used as living accommodation must be equipped with a smoke alarm.  This has been a legal requirement since 2015.
3. If these are found to be faulty ensure they are replaced or repaired.

For more information about this for Hosts in England and Wales please visit the legislation.gov.uk, for Hosts in Scotland please visit the www.gov.scot website, for Hosts in Northern Ireland please visit the nidirect.gov.uk website and for Hosts in Republic of Ireland visit the ISB.ie site.

Local fire services are responsible for fire safety enforcement in the UK.  In some areas the fire service will come and inspect your property to make sure it is safe for your Guests.  To find out more information about this visit their website: fireservice.co.uk. 

You can also find more useful general information about fire safety for Hosts with smaller Digs, in this Government fire safety guidance document Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire.  For all other types of Digs please visit this page to see more about Fire safety risk assessment: sleeping accommodation. 

Additional safety tips to help give your Guests peace of mind in your Digs

Safety folder/online safety folder

Some Hosts like to keep a safety folder at their digs, or offer an online safety folder to their Guests on or before arrival. 

Here are some tips and suggestions of what to include in this folder:

1. Details of: phone number and address of your local GP and hospital.

2. Location of your first aid kit (if you have one, and make sure you have the basics in there!)  

3. Location and map of your fire escape route for your Digs.

4. Copy of your latest annual Gas Safety check.

Hazard prevention

1. Have a look around your Digs, identify and clearly mark any areas where Guests might trip/fall/bump their heads (low ceilings).

2. If your stairs are steep consider adding a hand rail.

3. Remove or lock up any dangerous objects.

4. Add an anti slip mat to your bathroom.

5. Install a fire extinguisher and fire blanket in your kitchen.

If you have any questions please visit our Help Centre 

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