Fire Safety for Landlords & HMOs in Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Scotland

Alarms, assessments, fire doors and electrical checks for private landlords, letting agents and HMO licence holders across Glasgow and Lanarkshire.

Scottish rules for rented property are not the same as England’s, and they change depending on whether you let a single flat or run a licensed HMO, whether that’s a tenement flat in Glasgow or a rented house in Lanarkshire. This page sets out what applies and what we can do about each part, including the HMO licensing conditions set by individual local authorities such as Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council and North Lanarkshire Council.

What the law requires

Smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms

Since February 2022 every home in Scotland, rented or owned, has had to meet the same alarm standard: a smoke alarm in the room used most during the day, a smoke alarm in every hallway and landing, and a heat alarm in the kitchen, all ceiling-mounted and interlinked. A carbon monoxide detector is also needed wherever there is a carbon-fuelled appliance such as a boiler or a flue. Scottish Government guidance on fire and smoke alarms.

Fire risk assessment

Licensed HMOs are covered by Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. The landlord must carry out a written fire risk assessment, act on what it finds and keep it under review. The common areas of blocks of flats need one too.

HMO licence conditions

Councils attach fire safety conditions to an HMO licence, which usually cover the alarm system, fire doors on rooms off the escape route, emergency lighting where the escape route needs it, and evidence that the systems are tested. Check the conditions on your own licence, as they vary between councils.

Electrical safety

Under the Repairing Standard, a private landlord needs an electrical installation inspection at least every five years and a check of any appliances they supply.

Single lets and HMOs in Glasgow and across Scotland

Requirement	Single let	Licensed HMO
Interlinked smoke and heat alarms	Required	Required, often a larger system set by the licence
Carbon monoxide detection	Where there is a carbon-fuelled appliance	Where there is a carbon-fuelled appliance
Fire risk assessment	Recommended	Required under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005
Fire doors	Only where the building needs them	Usually a licence condition
Electrical inspection	At least every five years	At least every five years

What we do for landlords

Interlinked fire alarm systems, from a single flat to a zoned panel for a large HMO, certified to BS 5839-6 or BS 5839-1.
Fire risk assessments for HMOs and common areas, with a written action plan you can give the council.
Fire door inspection and replacement, with a photo record of each door.
Emergency lighting on escape routes, and the annual duration test.
Electrical inspections and remedial work.
Servicing contracts so the testing the licence asks for is done and recorded.

Common questions

Do I need a new fire risk assessment every year?

The law says it must be kept under review rather than redone on a fixed date. In practice most councils and insurers expect a review at least once a year and after any change to the building or how it is used.

What is the difference between a smoke alarm and a heat alarm?

A heat alarm reacts to a rise in temperature rather than smoke, so it does not go off when someone is cooking. That is why the kitchen gets a heat alarm and the living areas and hallways get smoke alarms.

Can battery alarms meet the standard?

Yes, if they are sealed tamper-proof long-life battery alarms that are interlinked by radio. Mains-powered alarms with a battery backup also meet it.

Where we work

Glasgow has one of the largest private-rented and HMO markets in Scotland, concentrated in tenement flats in the West End, Southside and city centre, and we work with landlords and letting agents there on interlinked alarms, fire risk assessments and fire doors. We also cover single lets and licensed HMOs in Hamilton, Motherwell, Cambuslang and East Kilbride, where the same Scotland-wide rules apply but the housing stock is more often houses and smaller blocks than tenements.

Request a quote

Tell us the address and how many lets or bedrooms there are, and we’ll arrange a visit.