Himo V Hotel

[Bill G]

Can someone please offer some explaination on the standards for HIMO's v Hotels. Currently we (fire authority) are serving enforcment notices on 4 storey hotel for the lack of a lobby to the staircase (single staircase) . One hotel has now changed to a HIMO offering student accomodation and the staircase is protected by a single door (housing dept standards).
q1 - why should they have a lesser standard of protection for a HIMO?
q2- currently the RRO makes the communial areas of a HIMO enforcable . therefore I would question is "does the communal staircase end at the entrance door to the unit or does it include the protected lobby within the flat .
For the purposes of the question I am only talking about the structural standards -the FA EL should be the same for either.

[Dinnertime Dave]

A little confused here -  if you protect the stairs with FR and you have a corridor approach to the individual bedsits and each bedsit has an FR door you have two door protection. why have a lobby?

Q1 - On HMO`s of two floors or less then the standard is lower. But once you get to 3 floors and over the standards with the exception of the provision of fire alarms are much closer together. I would assume that this is because people in HMO`s will be more familiar with the building layout.

Q2 - My opinion is that communual area is up to and including the front door. So not the protected lobby inside the flat. My tact is to get as much of your fire safety features in the communual areas to prevent your hands being tied later on.