Although it is almost three years since the law known as the Regulatory reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, was introduced in October 2006 Fire Safety Risk Assessments for buy to let holiday home owners remains 'a hot topic'.
According to insurance specialists the new legislation continues to cause confusion among owners of property investments of this type and letting companies as to who it actually affects.
To help with the situation, The Chief Fire Officers Association has produced a leaflet containing information on complying with fire safety law for people who provide sleeping accommodation in England and Wales.
The document entitled, Do You Have Paying Guests? If so, fire safety law applies to you, and you must take action ,contains an Example Fire Risk Assessment Form for recording significant findings for small accommodation providers.
This leaflet is concise, written in plain language and aimed at the smaller end of the sleeping accommodation market, such as B&B's, holiday homes, cottages and apartments.
Mark Lavington, Director of insurance providers Boshers Ltd, said: “As providers of holiday home insurance for UK lets, this topic is raised frequently during discussions that we have with both holiday cottage owners and holiday home letting agents alike.
“There has been much confusion and speculation banded around the self-catering accommodation industry about the required frequency and content of a suitable assessment.”
• A 40-year-old St Helens woman who failed to declare that her landlord was the father of her children has admitted falsely claiming thousands of pounds in benefits she was not entitled to.
The deception resulted in an overpayment of £6,034.74 to Sharon Morrison, of Wilbur Street, St Helens.
She pleaded guilty at St Helens Magistrates Court and was fined £100 at with £40 costs. Morrison also has to pay back the full overpayment. The case was brought by the Council's Benefit fraud Team.
