It should come as no surprise that there are various laws ensuring landlords provide their tenants with safe places to live. One such example is fire safety laws. These regulations include furniture fire labels that ensure property furnishings offer at least some level of fire resistance.
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What are fire safety regulations for landlords?
The Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety Regulations 1988 is a piece of legislation that sets out the necessary levels of fire resistance for home furnishings. Specifically, it covers furniture provided by landlords for their tenants, so typically applies to those renting furnished properties.
The following are broad categories covered by the regulations:
• All types of upholstered seating (chairs, sofas, futons, sofa-beds, etc.)
• Garden furniture suitable for use indoors
• Bedframes, mattresses, headboards
• Pillows and mattress toppers (specifically the filling)
• Permanent and temporary furniture covers
• Filling material for furniture
Some categories of furniture are exempt, including:
• Bed clothes such as duvets, mattress sheets, pillowcases
• Carpets
• Curtains
• Antique furniture and any furniture made before 1950
How to tell if furniture is compliant
Any furniture that fits into one of the categories above will carry a label if it’s compliant. Furniture fire labels state that the furniture is fire resistant. It’ll contain information relating to BS7177, which is the legal standard for resistance to ignition. Bear in mind this doesn’t mean the item is non-flammable. Rather, it means it won’t catch fire if something like a match or lit cigarette comes into contact with it.
Furniture will carry either a temporary or permanent label. These will carry either a warning about causing fires or a statement about the item’s compliance. Permanent labels will usually have a reference to BS7177 on them. Any compliant furniture will have been tested under lab conditions. For example, it’ll be exposed to different forms of ignition, such as matches or small flames, to see how long it takes to ignite. While the exact information won’t be given on furniture fire labels, compliance is enough.
Best practice for landlords
If your property is found to contain non-compliant furniture, you risk a £5,000 fine and up to 6 months in prison. Properties can be investigated by local Trading Standards officers at any time, so it’s best to ensure all relevant furniture in your property is up to code. There are a few things you can do for this:
Conduct regular risk assessments
If you are renting a furnished property, review furniture regularly. A fire risk assessment for landlords should include checking furniture fire labels, testing smoke alarms, inspecting wiring, and so on. A property management company could also do this for you.
Avoid second-hand furniture
While it can be tempting to buy second-hand furniture for your rental property, this does open you up to risk. You’d have to make sure that not only was the furniture compliant but that it also still had its fire label. Sure, this is possible, but it’s often easier to just avoid second-hand furniture altogether.
Buy from a credible supplier
Arguably the easiest way to cover yourself is to buy your furniture from a credible supplier. It’s obviously important to do research because you’ll want to check what items are compliant and, ideally, have access to documented proof of certification. A credible supplier should be happy to provide this information.
All furniture packages from Let Us Furnish are covered by fire safety regulations. Everything comes with the relevant labelling, and we have a full history of testing documentation and certification. Our landlord furniture packages are the easiest way to decorate your rental property. You can choose from individual items or room packages to make things as easy as possible.