Sleeping Accommodation Premises Guides

There are three guidance documents applicable to general fire safety in premises providing sleeping accommodation (excluding premises used as a care home; for healthcare; for secure accommodation; or premises where persons are detained in lawful custody).

The guides apply to premises which fall within the scope of Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, as amended

Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Small Bed and Breakfast and Self – Catering Premises (June 2010)

Applies to premises which:

are offered as accommodation for self-catering holidays, to be occupied by not more than 10 persons; or
offer accommodation for not more than 8 bed and breakfast guests in the home of the resident operator; and, in either case;
have a means of escape from bedrooms via a traditional ‘hall’ with at least one exit directly to the outside, rather than by way of a living or kitchen area;
do not have letting or guest accommodation below a ground floor or above a first floor;
do not act as the principal residence for paying guests;
do not have any storey area over 200m2 internal floor space.

Practical fire safety guidance for Small Premises Providing Sleeping Accommodation (Revised: June 2010 in respect of scope)

Applies to premises which comprise of:

Up to 2 storeys in height with a maximum single storey area of 200m2;
3 storeys in height with a maximum single storey area of 100m2; or
Individual flats or maisonettes, regardless of storey height, with a maximum single storey area of 200m2

This includes houses in multiple occupation subject to licensing and may also include buildings or premises put to a variety of uses, such as:

Self-catering and bed and breakfast accommodation outwith the scope of ‘Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Small Bed and Breakfast and Self-Catering Premises’;
Small hotel, boarding house, guest house; or
Small hostel accommodation.

Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Medium and Large Premises Providing Sleeping Accommodation (Revised: Feb 2008)

Applies to premises which comprise of:

Any single storey area over 200m2
3 storeys in height with a single storey area over 100m2; or
More than 3 storeys in height

This includes houses in multiple occupation subject to licensing (including a complex, such as a block of flats, consisting entirely of licensable, flatted houses in multiple occupation) and may also include buildings or premises used as:

Hotels;
Holiday complexes or camping and caravan sites (other than privately owned individual units);
Hostels, refuges or premises occupied by religious communities;
Bunkhouses or bunk barns;
Sleeping accommodation for pupils, students or employees; or
Registered clubs.

Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Small Bed and Breakfast and Self-Catering Premises (June 10)

Download in PDF format (Revised: June 10)
HTML format (Revised: June 10)

Practical fire safety guidance for Small Premises Providing Sleeping Accommodation (Revised: June 10 in respect of scope)

Download in PDF format (Revised: June 10)
HTML format (Revised: June 10)

Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Medium and Large Premises Providing Sleeping Accommodation (Revised: Feb 08)