Fires in Flats/Apartments

Fires in Apartment Buildings – What you Need to Know for Landlords and Tenants

Whether you’re a landlord or you’re renting a flat or apartment, there are ways you can make your property safer. Don’t leave making any changes until it’s too late. Fire safety isn’t something you ever want to be considering in hindsight.

Fire is an incredible force of nature that’s brought the human race many benefits over the centuries, but it’s also a ruthless destroyer. In its place, fire produces valuable energy and is used in many vital manufacturing processes. But, when fire breaks out where it’s not wanted – the results can be devastating to property and life.

That’s why it’s so important that you’re up to speed on ways to make sure your buildings are fire-safe. This is particularly important when you’re renting to tenants and never so vital as when you’re renting flats or apartments.

As well as the legal requirements involved in renting property, your insurance provider will have their own essential criteria that must be met in order to provide cover for your building.

But, of course, the most important consideration should be the safety of the people renting their homes from you and the safety of their belongings.

Improving Fire Safety in Apartments

Getting out safely and quickly is your biggest priority in the event of a larger fire in any building. If a fire cannot be safely tackled, always leave the building and call the emergency services.

It’s important to remember that fire safety in shared buildings, like apartment blocks, is not down to just one person. It relies on each tenant taking responsibility for their own and their neighbours safety. Fire can start in one home and quickly spread to others, sometimes blocking fire escapes and emergency exits.

Fire Safety for Landlords

Fire Drills

Ensure there is a fire drill in place to facilitate people leaving the building in a safe manner should fire alarms sound. All tenants should be aware of the drill and have a copy of any documentation regarding the required actions.

There should be a designated muster point, a safe distance from the building, where residents can congregate in the event of an evacuation. If possible, numbers should be checked to ensure there is no one left in the building who may have been unable to leave their home. Many larger buildings have a resident or manager who acts as a fire marshall. The marshall can check residents have escaped, carry out head-counts and ensure the emergency services have been summoned.

Fire-Rated Windows and Door Systems

There are various legal requirements concerning fitting fire-safe windows and doors in apartment buildings, depending on the size of the building. It’s your responsibility to ensure you’re operating within the law. Fire-rated windows and doors are fitted with special parts and coolants to help slow the spread of any fires. Slowing down fires prevents deaths and damage.

Fire Shutters and Smoke Curtains

Fire shutters are triggered by alarm systems and close in the event of a fire. Similar to the effects of closing a door, but much more effective, a fire curtain can hold back flames by cutting the amount of oxygen available to the fire.

Smoke is the leading cause of death in domestic fires. Sadly, many residents still die in their sleep every year, poisoned by smoke before the flames ever reach them. Smoke curtains hold back smoke and prevent deaths. Both smoke curtains and fire shutters give residents time to escape safely and reduce the possibility of catastrophic damage to your building in the event of a fire.

Fire Safety for Tenants

We’re all responsible for making sure we take steps to minimise the dangers caused by fires at home. This is especially the case when your actions also affect other people. In apartments or flats, the whole building could be damaged due to your own actions – or lack of them.

Here are a few tips to follow to make sure your apartment or flat is safe for you and your neighbours:

Close your Doors

Something as simple as closing doors can make a big difference in the unfortunate event of a fire. Closed doors slow fires down by reducing the availability of oxygen to feed the flames. Closing doors means people have more time to escape both smoke and fire.

Turn off your Electrical Appliances

Faulty electrical appliances are a leading cause of domestic fires. Make sure you unplug appliances, especially overnight or when you’re going out. Even if you’ve turned an appliance off at the switch, the fuse could still overheat and cause a fire so, to be sure you’re safe, pull out that plug!
Always make sure you’ve not left the home and left things switched on that make heat. Hair straighteners are easy to leave switched on and have caused countless fires. Check cookers, toasters and such like. If you’ve got any pets, could they jump up and accidentally knock an electric hob switch to the on position?

Do Your Own Risk Assessment

Give your apartment the once over to look for any potential risks. Where are your electrical points? Are they overloaded? Are you removing plugs? Do you turn off electric cookers? Identifying risks and eliminating them before they cause accidents is essential.

Check your Smoke Alarms and Fire Alarms

Don’t just assume that any fitted alarms are working. Make sure you check them regularly. If fitting or checking them is your landlord’s responsibility, don’t just leave it up to them to turn up. Make sure they check them and replace them if they’re faulty. If they don’t attend to carry out checks at regular intervals, make sure you request checks and inform the authorities if they refuse to carry out this essential work.

If your home doesn’t have a sufficient number of correctly fitted, working fire and smoke alarms, inform your landlord. It’s a legal requirement that any rented property has adequate fire protection measures installed.

Be Proactive!

Get together with other tenants to discuss ways to improve fire safety. It’s also sometimes a good idea to have a single spokesperson for tenants who can approach your landlord with any requests. Ask your landlord about fitting smoke curtains or fire shutters in communal passageways or stairs. These devices will significantly slow the spread of fires that have started on other floors and also hold back deadly smoke.

What to Do Next…

K & D Systems are experts when it comes to fire prevention, including the fitting and maintenance of fire shutters and smoke curtains.

We’re always ready to offer impartial advice and help you choose the best equipment for your needs. If you’d like to talk to us about fire safety solutions that are suitable for apartment blocks and flats, give us a call on 0191 534 3906