Fire safety information for housing tenants
If you live in an individual dwelling, like a house or bungalow, you should follow the fire service’s advice to:
- get out
- stay out
- call 999
If you live in a home with communal (shared) areas, such as a room in a shared property or a flat, you should follow the fire evacuation procedures displayed and call 999 when it is safe to do so.
How to prevent a fire
A fire in the home can be devastating, but there is a lot you can do to stay safe. Help to keep your household and neighbours protected from harm by following a few simple rules, which include:
- make sure that communal areas, corridors and stairwells are kept clear
- make sure that you test smoke alarms regularly
- have a fire escape plan and make sure everyone in your household is familiar with it
- check everything is safe and switched off before going to bed
The Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service offers a free home fire safety visit for people over 65 who live alone or might be vulnerable. Find out how to book a home fire safety visit.
Fire safety in flats and apartments
We carry out fire risk assessments and do a variety of ongoing checks to help ensure your safety. Help to keep your household and neighbours safe by following a few simple rules:
- keep communal areas, corridors and stairwells clear (staircases and corridors are the routes for fire fighters to get in as well as for you and your neighbours to get out); items that are left in stairwells or corridors could fuel a fire or become serious obstacles, especially if the area is smoke-filled or dark
- check the evacuation procedure for your building, a copy will be just inside the main entrance of your block
- contact us if you’re unsure about the procedure for your building
- tell us if you or anyone in your building might need help evacuating safely
Fire safety in flats leaflet (GOV.UK)
Fire risk assessments
A fire risk assessment is an inspection carried out at a block of flats to assess the risk from fire. The assessment includes recommended actions to improve your safety. Some of this work will be completed as soon as possible. Other work may be completed as part of a maintenance programme.
If you live in one of our blocks of flats and want to see your fire risk assessment, please contact us.