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Advice on fire safety in the home

Free home fire safety visit

We encourage all households to have home fire safety advice from the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service.

To request a visit, please call 0345 223 4221 (Monday to Friday 8.30am - 4.30pm) or complete a form at Safelincs: online home fire safety check [external link].

Safety advice will be given in response to answers provided as you complete the form. The form takes about 15 minutes to complete. 

After you complete the form a Home Fire Safety visit will be arranged if needed or has been asked for by you. This will be a chat at your home about how to keep you and your family safe from fire.

At the visit they will provide smoke alarms if needed and offer home safety advice. They will also offer advice on what to do in the event of a fire such as planning a safe escape in an emergency.

For more details about Fire Safety please see the leaflet Fire Safety in the Home [external link]

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

There are new requirements on carbon monoxide alarms in the private rented sector.

These came into force on 1 October 2022.

The smoke and carbon monoxide alarm (England) regulations mean landlords have a duty to ensure rented properties have:

  • a smoke alarm on every floor.
  • a carbon monoxide alarm in all rooms which contains a fixed combustion appliance.
  • alarms repaired or replaced immediately, if faulty.

If a landlord doesn't fulfil their duties, we may serve a notice which sets out:

  • which duties the landlord has failed to comply with.
  • what action should be taken.

Action is required within 28 days or landlords can appeal the notice.

If a landlord fails to comply with the notice, we can arrange for an authorised person to install alarms.

We will also impose a penalty charge on landlords who do not comply – which can be up to £5,000.

This will cover the cost of carrying out the works.  More details can be found in Darlington Borough Council’s statement of principles [pdf document].

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

Certain fire safety instructions must be shared with residents of multi-occupied domestic premises where residents would evacuate through common parts. (Such as shared corridors or stairs.)

This will include;

  • the evacuation strategy
  • how to report a fire
  • what they must do when a fire occurs.

The Regulations also need Responsible Persons to provide information on fire doors including;

  • they should be kept shut when not in use
  • residents should not tamper with self-closing devices
  • residents should report any faults with doors immediately.

Fire safety instructions should be;

  • displayed in an area of the building where it is clearly seen
  • given to new residents when they move in
  • given to existing residents on an annual basis.

For more information please see the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) website. Fire Safety Responsibilities under Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 [external link]

 

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