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FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => Fire Safety => Topic started by: The Colonel on May 28, 2008, 08:20:06 AM

Title: HMO Guidance
Post by: The Colonel on May 28, 2008, 08:20:06 AM

Is anyone aware if the draft LACORs guideance on HMOs has been published in final form yet, it was due April/May?

Had an interesting comvesation with an electrician last night who is fitting out a house that will be used as studant accomodation in a university city. Picture a mid terrace resonable sized house with the following;
Celler to be used for storage
Ground floor, 1 bedroom, communal room, kitchen, hallway, bathroom
1st floor, two bedrooms
2nd floor, bedroom.

All passive fire safety measures seem reasonable, FD30S doors, emergency lighting, upgrade celler ceiling, but the local housing in thier schedule of work required for licensing are specifying a fire alarm to BS 5839 Part 1 Cat L2 and break glass points on each floor. Seems quite a high spec for the fire alarm so I was wondering if the LACORs guidance is out yet and also is it binding on loacl authorities or just guidance that they can choose to accept or not

Cheers

The Colonel

Title: HMO Guidance
Post by: FSO on May 28, 2008, 09:27:33 AM

Depends on your interpretation.

The sleeping guide recommends an L2 or L3 system for student accomodation but goes to part 6 systems for different types of conversions.

So is the property student accomodation or an HMO?

Title: HMO Guidance
Post by: Paul2886 on May 28, 2008, 09:40:45 AM

If an L2 is fitted it could prove to be a nightmare in student accomodation owing to nuisance actuation. L3 would be better with a hard wired, with battery back-up, smoke detection in each students room.

Title: HMO Guidance
Post by: FSO on May 28, 2008, 10:24:13 AM

L4 then

Title: HMO Guidance
Post by: jokar on May 28, 2008, 10:29:01 AM

LACORS document due out in June.

Title: HMO Guidance
Post by: William 29 on May 28, 2008, 11:58:25 PM

Colonel have you tried www.homestamp.com/fire-standards
"From here you can download the latest Homestamp fire protection standards for multi-occupied residential properties.  The objective of this document is to provide owners, managers, letting agents and contractors with the necessary information which will help them provide their tenants with safe and high quality accommodation, and reduce the need for intervention from local authorities"

A number of Fire Authorites have signed up to this although some of the recommendations are a bit dodgy in my view.

Title: HMO Guidance
Post by: The Colonel on May 29, 2008, 08:32:24 AM

William, thanks I will have a look

Title: HMO Guidance
Post by: Big A on May 29, 2008, 01:57:51 PM

The LACORS document has taken Homestamp, DASH and the CLG guidance and attempted to merge them all in a single guide. It was widely consulted upon and has CFOA and CLG approval.

Title: HMO Guidance
Post by: messy on May 29, 2008, 05:17:04 PM

Quote from: jokar

LACORS document due out in June.

2008????!!!

Title: HMO Guidance
Post by: jokar on May 29, 2008, 07:13:30 PM

Messy, it is a Government thing, who knows which year.  But yes in theory June 2008.

Title: HMO Guidance
Post by: val on May 29, 2008, 10:00:19 PM

Jokar is spot on with the date of publication...no matter how hard one tries to keep to predicted deadlines, it always slips.

Just a little clarification, the guide has been jointly funded and therefore supported by LACORS, CFOA and CIEH, (how's that for colaboration?). CLG and National Landlords Association have also been intimately involved throughout so the blame, or otherwise is widely spread. LACORS have managed the production.

It will be available to download free, but if enough people want a shiny printed copy to make printing economic, a printed copy will be available to purchase.

Title: HMO Guidance
Post by: The Colonel on May 30, 2008, 08:10:36 PM

Thanks for the info, lets hope local authorities adopt the new guidance across the board

Title: HMO Guidance
Post by: johno67 on May 30, 2008, 08:22:28 PM

Quote from: The Colonel

Thanks for the info, lets hope local authorities adopt the new guidance across the board

And so say all of us