Fire safety for short-term lets in Scotland: what you need and a checklist

In short

From Scottish Government Annex 2 guidance, the licence mandatory conditions and SFRS. Not legal advice.

Fire safety is part of your licence. When you apply, you submit a fire safety checklist and confirm a fire risk assessment is in place (some councils ask for a copy).
You need a fire risk assessment, kept under review. Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 puts the duty on the person who controls the premises. For small self-catering lets you can usually do it yourself, if you are competent.
Mandatory licence conditions: equipment that detects and warns of fire and of carbon monoxide, and records showing upholstered furniture and mattresses meet the 1988 fire safety regulations.
A typical self-catering cottage needs interlinked smoke alarms in the hall (and landing, if two storeys) and living rooms, a heat alarm in the kitchen, solid close-fitting doors onto the escape route (gaps no more than 4 mm), a fire blanket in the kitchen, and an exit door that opens from inside without a key.
Also on the licence: an annual gas safety inspection (if there is gas) and an electrical inspection at least every five years. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service enforces fire safety and may visit.
Do now: work through the free checklist below (ticks save on this device), and get an email if the Scottish rules change.

Here is what the law, the licence conditions and the Scottish Government's guidance for small self-catering lets say, in plain English, plus a checklist you can tick off.

The law: Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Licence conditions: Schedule 3 of the Licensing of Short-term Lets Order 2022. Guidance: Scottish Government, "Fire safety: existing premises with sleeping accommodation", Annex 2 for small B&B and self-catering premises (28 February 2022). Who enforces it: the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).

What the licence needs

When you apply, submit a fire safety checklist and confirm a fire risk assessment is in place. Some councils ask for a copy. Councils send checklists to SFRS for consultation.
Mandatory condition: satisfactory equipment for detecting and warning of fire or suspected fire, and of carbon monoxide at a concentration hazardous to health.
Mandatory condition: records showing upholstered furnishings and mattresses guests can use comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988. mygov.scot says labels, receipts or photos can prove this.
Also mandatory: an annual gas safety inspection (if there is a gas supply), an electrical inspection at least every five years with an EICR, a PAT report with date-labelled appliances, and a legionella risk assessment.
On display for guests: a certified copy of the licence and conditions, fire, gas and electrical safety information, how to call the emergency services, and copies of the gas safety report, EICR and PAT report.

Does Annex 2 cover your property?

Annex 2 is the simple guidance for self-catering premises for up to 10 people and B&Bs in the operator's home for up to 8 guests, where bedrooms escape through a traditional hall with at least one exit straight outside, there is no guest accommodation below the ground floor or above the first floor, it is not the guests' main home, and no storey is over 200 m². SFRS says premises outside Annex 2 may be higher risk, so ask your local fire safety enforcement team.

The fire risk assessment in 7 steps

Who is at risk? Guests, cleaners, trades and visitors, noting children, elderly or disabled people.
What could start a fire, and what could burn? Cooking, heaters, open fires, smoking, appliances; furniture, bedding, kindling, rubbish, flammable liquids, LPG.
Evaluate the risk. How fast could fire spread (layers of wallpaper, polystyrene ceiling tiles, wood panelling)? Could a bin fire outside block an exit?
Reduce the risk and add safety measures. Detection, holding back fire and smoke, easy escape, and a way to tackle a small fire.
Make a plan for improvements with priorities and timescales.
Record it, including how you'll review it, your fire action plan and maintenance arrangements.
Review it regularly, for example after building work or if your guests change.

What a typical self-catering let needs (Annex 2 benchmarks)

These are benchmarks, not fixed minimums. Your risk assessment decides the final list.

Area	Benchmark
Smoke and heat alarms	Smoke alarm in the hall (and first floor landing if two storeys), within 3 m of every bedroom door and no more than 7.5 m from any part of the hall; one in each living room and separate dining room; heat alarm in the kitchen. More than three bedrooms: a smoke alarm in each bedroom too. Optical type in halls and landings.
Interlinking and power	Interlinked, wired or wire-free. Long-life tamper-proof lithium battery, or mains with a battery or capacitor backup. Consider mains-wired alarms when batteries reach end of life or during redecoration.
Carbon monoxide	Not covered by Annex 2, but CO detection is a mandatory licence condition. The hosts' guidance points to the Scottish Government's tolerable standard guidance on fire and CO detection.
Doors	Doors onto the escape route (not bathrooms or toilets) need not be fire doors but should hold back smoke and fire, such as solid timber, close fitting with gaps no more than 4 mm. Hollow doors give poor protection. Two storeys with more than three upstairs bedrooms: self-closers on ground floor doors onto the escape route.
Exit door	Opens easily from inside without a key.
Lighting	If no street light or outside light reaches the escape route, plug-in night lights in the hall and landing that keep working in a power cut, checked at the start of each let.
Equipment	A fire blanket in the kitchen.
Fire action plan	For each arriving party: escape route, how to raise the alarm and call the Fire Service. A notice in the hall and/or the welcome pack. Ask guests to close doors at night and report faults.

B&Bs in your own home follow slightly different benchmarks (for example a fire action notice in every bedroom, self-closers on ground floor doors in any two-storey property with upstairs sleeping, and regular fire drills with no guests present). See the official Annex 2.

Fire safety checklist

Based on Annex 2 and the licence mandatory conditions. Ticks are stored only on this device.

Fire risk assessment

Written fire risk assessment for this property (who is at risk, causes of fire, evaluate, reduce, plan, record, review) Vulnerable guests considered (children, elderly or disabled people) Improvement plan with priorities and timescales Review arrangements recorded, and the assessment reviewed after building work or a change in the kind of guests Confirmation that a fire risk assessment is in place ready for the licence application (some councils ask for a copy) Fire safety checklist completed for the licence application

Doors, escape and lighting

Doors from rooms onto the escape route (other than bathrooms and toilets) are solid and close fitting, with gaps no more than 4 mm, no splits and not warped Hollow doors and non-fire-rated glazing on the escape route dealt with Two-storey with more than three upstairs bedrooms: self-closers on the ground floor doors onto the escape route Final exit door opens easily from inside without a key Halls, corridors and stairs kept clear of things that burn or could ignite Plug-in night lights that keep working in a power cut in the hall and landing, if there is no street light or other outside light Night lights checked at the start of every let

Equipment, information and records

Fire blanket in the kitchen Fire action plan for each arriving party (escape route, raising the alarm, calling the Fire Service), as a notice in the hall and/or in the welcome pack Guests told to close doors at night and to report faults with alarms or electrics Records showing upholstered furniture and mattresses meet the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 Annual gas safety inspection (if there is a gas supply) Electrical Installation Condition Report at least every five years, plus a Portable Appliance Testing report with appliances date labelled On display for guests: certified copy of the licence and conditions, fire, gas and electrical safety information, how to call the emergency services, and copies of the gas safety report, EICR and PAT report Chip pan replaced with a thermostatic deep fat fryer; portable gas heaters avoided; heaters fixed and guarded

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We check the Scottish Government fire safety guidance and the licence mandatory conditions against official sources, along with council licensing, levy and planning rules, and email you when one changes.

Next Scotland dates we're watching:

13 Nov 2026, Edinburgh: Last day to pay the levy for stays 24 Jul to 30 Sep 2026 (return due by 30 Oct) (source)
15 Nov 2026, Argyll & Bute: Mull and Iona short-term let control area consultation closes (source)
25 Nov 2026, Falkirk: Visitor levy consultation closes (source)

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Common questions

Do short-term lets in Scotland need a fire risk assessment?

Yes. Short-term lets used for sleeping accommodation are covered by Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, and the person who controls the premises must make sure a fire risk assessment is carried out and kept under review. When you apply for a licence you submit a fire safety checklist and confirm a fire risk assessment is in place; some councils ask for a copy.

Can I do the fire risk assessment myself?

For small self-catering properties the Scottish Government guidance says the owner should usually be able to do it. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service says you can do it only if you are competent; otherwise use a suitably qualified fire risk assessor. SFRS does not do assessments for you.

What fire safety is a mandatory licence condition in Scotland?

The licence holder must have satisfactory equipment for detecting and warning of fire or suspected fire, and of carbon monoxide at a level hazardous to health. They must also keep records showing upholstered furnishings and mattresses guests can use comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988.

Where do smoke and heat alarms go in a Scottish holiday let?

The Annex 2 benchmark for small self-catering lets is a smoke alarm in the hall (and the first floor landing in a two-storey property) within 3 m of every bedroom door and no more than 7.5 m from any part of the hall, a smoke alarm in each living room and separate dining room, and a heat alarm in the kitchen. With more than three bedrooms, add a smoke alarm in each bedroom. Alarms should be interlinked.

Do I need fire doors in a Scottish holiday cottage?

Not usually. Doors onto the escape route need not be fire doors but should hold back smoke and fire long enough to escape, for example a solid timber door fitting its frame with gaps of no more than 4 mm. In a two-storey property with more than three upstairs bedrooms, the ground floor doors onto the escape route should have self-closers.

Do I need a fire extinguisher or a fire blanket?

The Annex 2 benchmark for self-catering is a fire blanket in the kitchen. It does not mention extinguishers. Your own risk assessment decides whether you need more.

Do I need emergency lighting?

Not formal emergency lighting under the Annex 2 benchmark. If the escape route has no street light or other outside light, put plug-in night lights that keep working in a power cut in the hall and landing, and check they work at the start of each let.

Does Annex 2 cover my property?

It covers self-catering premises for up to 10 people, and B&Bs in the operator's home for up to 8 guests, where bedrooms escape through a traditional hall with at least one exit straight outside, there are no guest rooms below the ground floor or above the first floor, and no storey is over 200 square metres. Larger or unusual properties may be higher risk: ask your local SFRS fire safety enforcement team.

What gas and electrical checks does a Scottish licence need?

An annual gas safety inspection of all gas pipes, flues and appliances if there is a gas supply, and an electrical inspection by a competent person at least every five years with an Electrical Installation Condition Report, plus a Portable Appliance Testing report and date labels on movable appliances guests can use.

Who enforces fire safety in Scottish short-term lets?

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. It may visit, ask about your fire risk assessment and check your fire safety measures, and can take formal enforcement action where serious problems are not fixed. Councils issue the licences and send fire safety checklists to SFRS for consultation.

Elsewhere in the UK

This guide covers Scotland only. See holiday let fire safety in England, holiday let fire safety in Wales, and the Tourism NI certificate guide for Northern Ireland.

Official sources

Show all official sources (5)

Not legal advice. Summarised from official Scottish sources, checked 2026-10-29. Annex 2 gives no fixed testing intervals; it says to set up a system for regular testing and maintenance. You remain responsible for your own fire risk assessment. If in doubt, use a competent fire risk assessor or ask your local SFRS fire safety enforcement team.

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