Quite agree Ricardo
Airds I totally accept what you said about enforcement / requirements being proportional to the risk.
As others have mentioned here many landlords wonder why they have to provide certain precautions, particularly when they only let a couple of rooms out to guests in their own home .
In our own homes we generally have total control of what goes on in there, add to the mix guests or "strangers" as I like to call them that element of control diminishes.
Can anyone landlords throw some light on the sort of costs involved in upgrading a small B&B with the required fire precautions? It may help us to appreciate your position further.
I can provide some information here. Firs of all the fact that "strangers" are taken in does not really reduce the element of control that much. In fact I would suggest there are many who have less control over their own family members than those who operate B&Bs have over their guests. In a B&B, because of the intimacy of the accommodation, guests almost invariably behave with courtesy and consideration. If they don't you are quickly aware of the fact and will take extra care, just as anyone would do when they feel their own property is in any way at risk. People can and will be asked to leave if their behaviour is less than reasonable. In practice, most guests are very responsible people and problems rarely happen. The situation is quite different to a larger concern such as a hotel, where there is usually little direct contact between guests and the owner.
Regarding costs of work this will vary widely, but typically the work might cost from £1000 to £3000. But it's not just the cost. It's the fact that the quality of your house may be devalued because of the removal of character doors and damage to floors and surfaces to install wiring. Many B&Bs are not run principally for commercial reasons, but as a form of supplementary income for something you enjoy doing. Financially it is often only marginally viable. This is why so many B&Bs are likely to close rather than spend significant sums of money, that they are unlikely to recover, on alterations.
I think if a B&B owner has a strong policy about smoking and avoids all the usual sources of ignition such as candles, open fires etc. the risk of fire should be extremely small. With good housekeeping and reduction of potential fire loads by minimising furniture fabrics etc. risk of a fire developing undetected is also low in these circumstances. I'm all for advising owners about all the practical means to reduce risk that don't involve damaging their homes and pockets.
I'm pleased to see this discussion unfold sensibly and thank all contributors again. This is the best way to achieve understanding. I am in contact with people across Scotland and can attest to the fact that a number of B&Bs are already seriously considering closing down because of the local Fire Service's demands of them. This is a major problem for the tourism industry and local economies. I also know that similar problems are unfolding in England although the law is different there.
