Fire safety for holiday lets in Wales: what you need and a checklist
What fire safety rules apply to holiday lets in Wales?
If you let a property in Wales that is not your main home, even once, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 means you must carry out a fire risk assessment and write down the findings. The Welsh Government guide (September 2023) says a typical small let needs interlinked smoke alarms, a heat alarm in the kitchen, a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a gas, oil or solid fuel appliance, a clear escape route and fire information for guests. Your local fire and rescue service enforces it, and you can tick off each item in the checklist below.
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In short
From the Welsh Government guide (September 2023). Not legal advice.
- The law applies even for one let. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 covers any short-term let in Wales that is not someone's main home.
- You need a written fire risk assessment specific to the property. For small premises you can usually do it yourself, using the Welsh Government guide and its template.
- A typical cottage needs interlinked smoke alarms, a heat alarm in the kitchen, a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a gas, oil or solid fuel appliance, and solid, well-fitting doors onto the hall and stairs.
- No fire extinguishers needed in self-catering, because guests should get out. Don't provide multi-purpose powder extinguishers.
- Test alarms at every changeover and review the assessment at least yearly. Your local fire and rescue service enforces the rules.
- Do now: work through the free checklist below (ticks save on this device), and get an email if the Welsh rules change.
Here is what the Welsh Government's guide for small guest accommodation says, in plain English, plus a checklist you can tick off.
The law: the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Guidance: Welsh Government, "A guide to making your guest accommodation safe from fire" (September 2023), issued under Article 50 of the Order. Who it applies to: the "responsible person", usually the owner or letting agent. Who enforces it: North Wales, Mid and West Wales, or South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
Does the guide cover your property?
- Yes: houses, cottages and chalets on the ground floor, or ground and first floor, sleeping up to 10 people, with no more than four first-floor bedrooms; and individual flats.
- Principles also apply: holiday caravans, camping and glamping pods, bothies, lodges, shepherds' huts, tents, tree houses and yurts (log burners, cooking and flammable construction may need extra measures).
- No: bigger premises, or layouts that differ materially, such as a two-storey property with an open-plan ground floor, or a flat with a bedroom reached only through another room. Use the fuller government guidance on sleeping accommodation, or a competent assessor.
What you must do
- Carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment specific to the property, and document the findings. The guide includes a template (section 8).
- Provide adequate fire safety measures, such as escape routes and alarms, and take steps to stop fires starting.
- Keep those measures in good condition and working order.
- Have fire procedures, and make sure guests know what to do in a fire.
- Instruct any staff, and co-operate with anyone else who has fire safety duties for the building (for example in a block of flats).
- Review the assessment regularly (yearly is usually right) and after any significant change or a fire.
What a typical two-storey cottage needs
From the guide's worked examples for a three-bedroom house and a listed two-bedroom cottage. Your own risk assessment decides the final list.
| Area | Typical measure |
|---|---|
| Escape route | Entrance hall and stairs a notional 30-minute protected route. Doors onto it should be notional fire doors but don't need self-closers. Bathroom, toilet and cupboard doors don't need to be fire doors. |
| Alarms | Mains-powered (with tamper-proof backup battery), interlinked smoke alarms in the entrance hall, landing, living room and bedrooms, plus a heat alarm in the kitchen. |
| Lighting | No emergency escape lighting needed if there is a torch in each bedroom or plug-in night lights on the stairs and entrance hall. |
| Equipment | No firefighting equipment needed in self-catering. Don't provide multi-purpose powder extinguishers. |
| Signs and info | No fire exit signs needed. A fire action notice, the full address and postcode, how to call the emergency services, and a no smoking policy. |
| Log burner or LPG | Carbon monoxide alarms (the cottage example puts them in the lounge and kitchen). An LPG cooker needs cut-off devices on the pipework from the outside supply. Consider a landline if mobile signal is weak. |
Flats in a purpose-built block: the flat entrance door should be a self-closing fire door, and the fire action notice should explain any "stay put" policy and not using lifts. No barbecues or heaters on balconies.
Fire safety checklist
Based on the Welsh Government guide and its fire risk assessment template. Ticks are stored only on this device.
Hazards
Escape and alarms
Paperwork and guests
Changeover and maintenance routine
- Every changeover (self-catering, owner not present): do the weekly and monthly checks below.
- Monthly: check exit doors not in regular use open easily; test torches or escape lights; test smoke, heat and CO alarms are working and loud enough to wake someone.
- Every 6 months: check fire doors are undamaged and fit their frames; have any fire alarm system serviced.
- Yearly: service gas appliances, heating, any escape lighting and any extinguishers; sweep chimneys; review your risk assessment.
- Every 5 years: electrical installation inspection and test.
- About every 10 years: replace smoke alarms (typical lifespan; check the maker's guidance for heat and CO alarms).
Get an email when short-let rules change in Wales
We check the fire safety guidance for Welsh holiday lets against official sources, along with WRA registration, the visitor levy and the coming licensing scheme, and email you when one changes.
Next Wales dates we're watching:
- 31 Mar 2027, All of Wales: Register your visitor accommodation with the Welsh Revenue Authority (source)
- 1 Apr 2027, Cardiff: Visitor levy starts (source)
- 6 Apr 2027, England, Wales and Northern Ireland: New property income tax rates: 24% basic, 44% higher, 49% additional (raised at Budget 2026; needs Finance Bill 2026-27) (source)
Pick your council for alerts about it, or keep All of Wales. Plus one short weekly UK "what changed" email. Free, no spam, unsubscribe any time.
Rules in your council
Each council page has the local licensing, planning, visitor levy and fee rules, key dates and official sources, plus a free email alert when they change.
Common questions
Do holiday lets in Wales need a fire risk assessment?
Yes. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies in Wales to any short-term let that is not someone's main home, even if you let it only once. You must carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and document the findings.
Is the Welsh guidance different from the English one?
The law is the same Fire Safety Order, but Wales has its own guide, published by the Welsh Government in September 2023. It covers single ground or ground-and-first-floor premises sleeping up to 10 people with no more than four first-floor bedrooms, plus individual flats. Its principles can also be applied to caravans, glamping pods, shepherds' huts, lodges and yurts.
Can I do the fire risk assessment myself?
For small premises, in most cases yes, without specialist knowledge, by following the Welsh Government guide and its template. If you are not confident, use a competent fire risk assessor. You stay legally responsible either way.
What smoke alarms does a holiday let in Wales need?
Interlinked smoke alarms in hallways, corridors, staircases, lounges, dining rooms and bedrooms, and heat alarms in the kitchen and any utility or laundry room. Preferably mains powered with a tamper-proof backup battery (Grade D1). Sealed long-life battery alarms (Grade F1) may be acceptable short term, around 2 to 3 years.
Do I need a fire extinguisher in a self-catering let in Wales?
No. The Welsh guide says there is no need to provide firefighting equipment in self-catering premises, because guests should evacuate. If staff are on the premises, equipment should be provided and staff trained. It also says multi-purpose powder extinguishers should not be provided, as they are not suitable in enclosed spaces.
Do I need fire doors with self-closers?
Not usually. Solid, well-fitting conventional doors (typically 44mm solid timber or a flaxboard or chipboard core) are normally acceptable. Hollow-core and thin-panel doors and plain glazing will normally need replacing with 30-minute fire doors. Intumescent strips, smoke seals and self-closers are not considered essential in properties the guide covers.
Do I need a carbon monoxide alarm?
Yes, the guide says to provide one in each room containing an appliance that runs on gas, oil or solid fuel, such as a boiler or log burner.
How often should I test the alarms?
Domestic smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms should be tested monthly. In self-catering lets where you are not present, do the weekly and monthly checks at every changeover.
Who enforces fire safety in Welsh holiday lets?
Your local fire and rescue service: North Wales, Mid and West Wales, or South Wales. It may inspect your property and can give advice, but it cannot do the risk assessment for you. Failure can lead to enforcement action, closure or prosecution.
Will the new Welsh licensing scheme change this?
The Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Act 2026 sets a fire safety standard for regulated visitor accommodation: keep a written fire risk assessment and a record of the precautions taken, and keep both under review. The licensing scheme it belongs to is not in force yet.
Elsewhere in the UK
This guide covers Wales only. For England see holiday let fire safety in England. In Scotland, see short-term let fire safety in Scotland, and fire safety is part of the licence conditions: see how to get a Scottish short-term let licence. In Northern Ireland see the Tourism NI certificate guide.
Related: Wales short-let rules · Ceredigion holiday let rules (every Welsh council is listed on the Wales page) · Do I need to register with the WRA? · Holiday let tax after FHL abolition
Official sources
Show all official sources (5)
- Welsh Government: A guide to making your guest accommodation safe from fire (Sep 2023, PDF)
- North Wales Fire and Rescue Service: Self-catering holiday accommodation
- Welsh fire and rescue services: Self-catering holiday accommodation guidance (PDF)
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Act 2026, section 9 (fire safety standard)
Not legal advice. Summarised from the Welsh Government guide (September 2023), checked 2026-10-29. You remain responsible for your own fire risk assessment. If in doubt, use a competent fire risk assessor or ask your local fire and rescue service.
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