On this page: Essential advice and guidance about fire safety in Houses in Multiple Occupation.
General Fire Safety Information
Swindon Borough Council is responsible for enforcing fire safety precautions and means of escape in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) within Swindon.
HMOs are inspected when they are identified and a plan is drawn of the property. A specification of fire precautions and means of escape, in addition to works relating to amenity provision, is then prepared and sent to the Chief Fire Officer for consultation. The Chief Fire Officer then considers the proposed scheme and comments formally on our proposals. The resultant scheme then forms the basis of the Schedule of Works enforced at the property.
Although every property is assessed individually, with consultation carried out for each individual case, many houses in Swindon are identical in layout and construction and can be treated similarly for fire precautions and means of escape in the absence of complicating factors.
We have produced some generic fire safety plans, for the most common forms of HMO and layout found in Swindon. They are reproduced below as a guide only to that which may be specified as a result of an inspection by this department.
Example Fire Safety Plans
The plans below outline fire safety schemes most commonly specified by the Council and should only be used as a general guide to the principles of fire safety in HMOs.
Further Information/Contact
We strongly advise recommend all existing and prospective landlords in Swindon to contact the council for advice and guidance relating to amenity provision, fire precautions and means of escape relating to Houses in Multiple Occupation.