The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006

Duty of manager to take safety measures

4.—(1) The manager must ensure that all means of escape from fire in the HMO are—

(a) kept free from obstruction; and

(b) maintained in good order and repair.

(2) The manager must ensure that any fire fighting equipment and fire alarms are maintained in good working order.

(3) Subject to paragraph (6), the manager must ensure that all notices indicating the location of means of escape from fire are displayed in positions within the HMO that enable them to be clearly visible to the occupiers.

(4) The manager must take all such measures as are reasonably required to protect the occupiers of the HMO from injury, having regard to—

(a) the design of the HMO;

(b) the structural conditions in the HMO; and

(c) the number of occupiers in the HMO.

(5) In performing the duty imposed by paragraph (4) the manager must in particular—

(a) in relation to any roof or balcony that is unsafe, either ensure that it is made safe or take all reasonable measures to prevent access to it for so long as it remains unsafe; and

(b) in relation to any window the sill of which is at or near floor level, ensure that bars or other such safeguards as may be necessary are provided to protect the occupiers against the danger of accidents which may be caused in connection with such windows.

(6) The duty imposed by paragraph (3) does not apply where the HMO has four or fewer occupiers.