FAQs

Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1993

The rules and regulations concerning fire safety in rented accommodation are rigorous. All landlords need to be aware of the implications of this safety legislation.

This covers all upholstery and upholstered furniture supplied in a rented property including settees, armchairs, loose cushions, footstools/pooffes and covers, futons, sofa beds, bean bags, beds, mattresses, headboards, pillows and garden furniture (if suitable for interior use). They must all pass the Government ‘cigarette test’, ‘match test’ and ‘ignitability test’.

Duvets, loose mattress covers and carpets are exempt from the Regulations, as is any furniture manufactured prior to January 1st 1950.

Furniture manufactured or sold since 1990 should have regulatory display labels attached. These labels must be left intact as this is the only certain way of guaranteeing furniture conforms to the Regulations.

Furniture manufactured between 1950 and 1990 should not supplied to a tenant unless it has been professionally re-upholstered with conforming materials. Fire Retardant spray treatment is not acceptable.

Given the nature of these Regulations we strongly recommend that replacement furniture is only purchased from a reputable supplier as there is no alternative method of testing individual pieces of furniture other than applying a naked flame to it.

If there is any doubt as to the suitability of an item then it must be removed or replaced prior to the commencement of the tenancy.

The maximum penalty for non-compliance with these Regulations is a fine of £5,000 and 6 months imprisonment

The following information is intended to give you the Landlord a guide to the more important safety regulations in relation to rented property. We must point out that this information outlines the regulations at the present time, but these maybe subject to review. We cannot therefore accept any liability for any consequences whatsoever in respect of your failing to comply with safety regulations and would encourage you to refer to the Regulations for full details of the implications of the Regulations and/or seek legal advice if unclear.