Fire and Electrical Safety

When viewing a student house, look out for the security measures in place throughout the property. On both front and back doors there should be more than one lock in place, preferably a 5 lever mortice deadlock, and sufficient security on the windows – on the ground floor in particular.

Electrical appliances that are supplied by your landlord should be in good working order. A fire extinguisher, fire alarms and fire blanket should be readily available. Remember that it is in your landlord’s interest for you to be secure in the house, so you are well within your rights to ask for these to be fitted before signing for a property. 

Fire Safety 

All rented properties should have fire alarms, a fire extinguisher and fire blanket. There should be an adequate means for escape and the design of the building should limit the chances of fire spreading.

Larger properties – such as licensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) are required to have further fire precautions such as fire doors and emergency lighting as dictated by the local authority’s mandatory licensing scheme.

Gas Safety Certificates

Landlords are legally required to have all gas appliances checked annually. Tenants should be given a copy of the certificate. This is to protect you from the dangers of carbon monoxide – an odourless, tasteless, colourless gas which can accumulate from unsafe appliances and can kill.

For information on the dangers of carbon monoxide, visit the Health and Safety Executive gas safety guidance page.

If you have requested a copy of the certificate and your landlord has not provided one, you can report your landlord to the Health and Safety Executive Gas Safety Office on 02920 263000.

For university registered properties, please contact Accommodation Services on 01443 482044 or email Accommodation Services.

Furniture supplied by the landlord

Any furniture supplied by your landlord must be fire resistant. All new or second hand upholstered furniture sold after 1st September 1990 should meet fire safety regulations and carry a label to say so. If a piece of furniture does not carry such a label saying that it meets the regulations, it’s possible that it does not, and you should ask the landlord to replace it.

There are no minimum legal standards for what should be provided in furnished accommodation but you should have a table and chairs, sofa and/or armchairs and storage for clothing in each bedroom, heating systems or appliances, curtains and floor coverings and a fridge and cooker.

For further information visit your Council’s website:

Electrical Safety

Landlords are responsible for ensuring that any electrical appliances supplied with the accommodation are safe. This includes things such as:

  • heaters
  • toasters
  • kettles
  • microwaves
  • any other electrical appliances.

Electrical equipment poses several potential dangers that you should be aware of:

  • The dangers associated with electrical equipment include electrocution and fire.
  • All mains powered electrical equipment which is brought onto campus must be in safe condition.
  • The manufacturer’s instructions for the correct use of the appliance must always be followed.
  • Faulty or damaged equipment must not be used at any time.
  • Repairs must only be carried out by a qualified person.
  • Damaged leads or cables should be replaced not repaired.
  • All equipment must have correctly rated fuses – check manufacturer’s instructions.
  • All plugs must be of the UK standard 3-pin design and approved to British Standard BS1363 (shown on the underside of the plug).
  • 2-pin adaptors (e.g. shaver adaptor) must only be plugged into appropriate adaptor sockets where provided.
  • All leads or cables etc. must be appropriate for the item and correctly fitted.
  • Equipment should be switched off at the mains when not in use or left unattended.
  • Extreme care must be taken if using multi-adapters to ensure that they are not overloaded i.e. all items in use must not exceed 13 amps (13A).
  • Electrical equipment must only be used for its intended purpose and must not be modified or incorrectly used.
  • All housings/covers etc. must be correctly in place whenever the equipment is used or connected to a supply of electricity.