HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION
For holiday lets, Airbnb properties, self-catering accommodation, guest houses and other places where paying guests sleep.
ESI assesses the property as it is actually used, then gives you a clear report showing what is satisfactory, what needs attention and what should happen next. No generic checklist. No unnecessary work.
GET A QUOTE
A few details are enough to start.
Professional memberships, registrations and industry credentials
THE STARTING POINT
For paying guest accommodation in England, the Fire Safety Order applies where someone is charged to stay as a guest and the premises are not being occupied as a private dwelling, even if the stay is only for one night.
The fire risk assessment is the foundation.
The assessment should reflect the actual property, the people who may stay there and the precautions needed to keep them safe. It should then be kept under review and revised when necessary.
HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION WE ASSESS
A one-bedroom apartment, a converted cottage and a multi-room guest house do not present the same fire safety picture. The right starting point is how the building is laid out, how it is occupied and how guests would respond if a fire occurred.
Short-term lets
For properties offered to paying guests through Airbnb or other short-stay booking platforms.
Self-catering
Including traditional cottages, converted homes, rural properties and family holiday accommodation.
Apartments
Where the assessment may also need to consider the wider building, access, common areas and the individual unit.
Guest accommodation
Where owners, staff and multiple guest rooms can create a different management and evacuation picture.
Alternative stays
For smaller or unusual guest accommodation where construction, heating and escape arrangements need proper consideration.
More than one unit
For a consistent approach across several properties while keeping each assessment property-specific.
WHY GUEST ACCOMMODATION IS DIFFERENT
People may arrive after dark, sleep on an unfamiliar floor, include children or people who need more time to escape, or simply not know which door leads outside. A useful assessment looks beyond whether alarms are present and considers how the whole fire safety arrangement works for real guests.
That is why the assessment needs to be specific to the property rather than copied from another holiday let or completed as a paperwork exercise.
People may be slower to detect and respond to a fire while asleep.
Guests may not instinctively know the quickest or safest escape route.
Kitchens, log burners, heaters and other ignition sources need proportionate consideration.
The assessment should consider people who may need additional help to escape safely.
Older layouts and alterations can affect escape routes, separation and detection strategy.
Location can affect emergency planning and how guests raise the alarm or evacuate.
WHAT ESI ASSESSES
The precise scope depends on the accommodation, but the assessment considers the factors that determine whether guests can be protected if a fire starts.
01
Potential ignition sources, fuels, cooking, heating, electrical equipment and other relevant hazards.
02
Guest numbers, sleeping arrangements and anyone who may need additional consideration.
03
Whether the alarm and detection arrangements are appropriate for the premises and its use.
04
How guests get out, whether routes remain usable and whether doors and final exits support safe escape.
05
Relevant doors, walls, floors and other features that may affect the spread of fire and smoke.
06
Whether additional emergency lighting, signs or wayfinding measures are needed.
07
Whether equipment is appropriate, proportionate and positioned sensibly for the accommodation.
08
Testing, maintenance, housekeeping, emergency information and the routines that keep precautions effective.
Which guidance route fits?
Government guidance has a specific route for smaller paying guest accommodation with simple layouts and limited risks. Other properties need to be considered against the wider sleeping-accommodation guidance.
Smaller paying guest accommodation
The Home Office small-paying-guest guide is intended for defined smaller premises, including some self-catering properties and individual flats.
Useful where the property falls within the guide's scope
Still requires a suitable fire risk assessment
Measures should be proportionate to the actual risk
Larger or more complex accommodation
Properties outside that scope, or those with materially different fire safety arrangements, need to be assessed using the wider guidance for premises providing sleeping accommodation.
More complex layouts or fire-safety arrangements
Larger guest accommodation
Situations where competent specialist judgement is needed
You do not need to decide which guidance route applies before contacting ESI. Send the property details and we can scope the assessment around the real premises.
THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS
The process is designed to make the assessment useful to the person actually responsible for the accommodation, not simply produce another document to file away.
Step 01
Share the address, accommodation type, guest capacity and anything unusual or already known.
Step 02
Previous assessments, plans, alarm information, photographs or relevant records can help with scoping.
Step 03
The property is assessed in the context of how it is actually used by paying guests.
Step 04
You receive findings that distinguish satisfactory arrangements from matters requiring attention.
Step 05
Actions are set out clearly so you can understand what needs dealing with and why.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
A useful fire risk assessment should leave you clearer than you were before. The report should show the fire safety position, identify material issues and give you a practical route forward.
So you are not encouraged to replace or change things without a fire-safety reason.
Clear findings tied back to the risks identified during the assessment.
So immediate concerns are distinguishable from planned improvements or management actions.
Enough context to understand why a recommendation has been made.
SAMPLE ONLY. Final report content depends on the actual property and assessment findings.
WHEN PROFESSIONAL INPUT IS ESPECIALLY USEFUL
Government guidance allows responsible persons to carry out their own assessment where they are competent to do so. Professional input becomes particularly useful where the property, layout or decision is less straightforward.
You want to establish the fire safety position before or soon after starting the accommodation business.
The building has historic construction, alterations, unusual staircases or features that need judgement rather than a generic template.
Sleeping rooms, kitchens or escape routes do not fit the assumptions used in simpler guidance.
You already have paperwork but are not confident it reflects the building or gives you a workable route forward.
Layout, occupancy, building work or other significant changes mean the existing assessment may need review.
You want a consistent professional approach while keeping each property-specific assessment proportionate.
A STRAIGHT ANSWER
Potentially, yes. For simpler premises, government guidance is written to help the responsible person carry out an assessment where they are competent to do so.
But the legal responsibility does not disappear because someone else prepares the report. If you are not confident applying the guidance to your property, or the premises falls outside the simpler guidance, competent professional advice is the sensible route.
The value is in applying fire-safety judgement to the actual accommodation and giving you a clear, proportionate assessment you can understand and act on.
That means identifying what is already satisfactory as well as what genuinely needs attention.HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION GUIDES
ESI already publishes practical articles for owners and hosts. These should support this commercial page rather than compete with it.
Airbnb & short-term lets
A practical introduction to when the Fire Safety Order applies to paying guest accommodation.
Fire safety law
Understand the legal framework behind the assessment and the owner's ongoing responsibilities.
Practical guidance
A broader look at the assessment, typical considerations and how to approach guest-accommodation fire safety.
HOLIDAY LET FAQS
Find straightforward answers to common questions about fire risk assessments for holiday lets, Airbnb properties and other paying guest accommodation.
If you charge someone to stay as a guest and the premises are not being occupied as a private dwelling, the Fire Safety Order can apply even where the stay is only for one night. The assessment should reflect how the property is used as paying guest accommodation.
Yes. Government guidance specifically addresses self-catering accommodation and other forms of paying guest accommodation. The appropriate guidance route depends on the size, layout and complexity of the premises.
For simpler premises, the responsible person can carry out the assessment where they are competent to do so. If you are not confident applying the guidance, or the premises is larger or more complex, competent specialist advice is appropriate.
It should be kept under review and revised when it is no longer valid or where there has been a significant change that could affect fire safety. Changes to the layout, occupancy, building works, equipment or management arrangements can all be relevant.
Start with the property address, accommodation type and maximum guest numbers. If you already have a previous assessment, floor plan, alarm information, photographs or details of recent alterations, those can also be useful for scoping.
Tell ESI how many properties are involved and whether they are broadly similar or very different. The work can then be scoped consistently while keeping each assessment specific to the property concerned.
READY TO GET THE PROPERTY CHECKED?
You do not need to know which government guide applies or arrive with a perfect set of records. Send us the basics about the property and ESI can scope the appropriate fire risk assessment from there.
Tell us a little about the premises and what has prompted the enquiry.