Guide
Holiday let safety requirements and compliance
Health and safety requirements for self-catering holiday accommodation. Covers fire safety, gas safety, electrical safety, legionella prevention, risk assessment, record keeping, and building a compliance pack for inspections.
Health and safety requirements
As a holiday let operator, you're the 'responsible person' for health and safety at your property. This applies whether you have employees or not.
Fire safety
Fire safety is especially important for premises with sleeping accommodation. You must carry out a fire risk assessment and implement appropriate measures.
For holiday accommodation specifically, ensure you have:
- Working smoke alarms on every floor (tested regularly)
- Carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with solid fuel appliances
- Clear escape routes with emergency lighting
- Fire blanket in the kitchen
- Fire extinguisher (appropriate to property size)
- Fire safety information displayed for guests
Fire safety inspections: Be aware that a fire and rescue service officer can visit to check your compliance. They focus on whether your risk assessment is appropriate and your safety measures are in place - not on catching you out.
Gas safety
If your property has gas appliances, you need annual safety checks by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Electrical safety
Electrical installations must be safe. While there's no legal requirement for regular testing in holiday lets (unlike residential lettings), regular checks protect you and your guests.
Water safety and legionella
You must assess and control the risk of legionella in your water systems. This is particularly important for properties left unoccupied between bookings.
Between bookings: Run all taps, showers, and flush toilets to prevent water stagnation. Keep hot water stored above 60°C and delivered above 50°C at taps.
General risk assessment
Assess hazards guests might encounter and take reasonable steps to reduce risks. Document your assessment.
Common hazards in holiday lets include:
- Slippery surfaces (bathroom, pool area, decking)
- Steps and uneven ground (especially in rural properties)
- Hot tubs and swimming pools
- Garden features (ponds, fire pits, play equipment)
- Livestock access (farm properties)
Record keeping
Keep accurate records for tax, business rates, and safety purposes:
- Booking calendar: Availability vs actual lettings
- Income: All payments (including deposits, cleaning)
- Expenses: Repairs, utilities, mortgage interest, insurance
- Safety records: Gas certificates, electrical reports, fire risk assessments, legionella assessments
- Employee records: Right to work checks, contracts, payroll
- Guest records: Names, dates, payments (for VOA confirmation)
Keep records for at least 6 years (5 years for tax returns after the 31 January deadline).
Be inspection-ready: keep a compliance pack
A fire officer, council licensing officer, or insurance assessor may ask to see evidence of your safety measures. Keep all your compliance documents in one place - either a physical folder at the property or a secure digital folder you can access quickly.
- Fire risk assessment
- Dated, signed, reviewed annually. Include photos of fire safety equipment.
- Gas safety certificate (CP12)
- Annual certificate from Gas Safe registered engineer. Must be current.
- Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
- Valid for 5 years. Shows fixed wiring is safe.
- PAT testing records
- Portable appliance tests for guest-accessible electrical items.
- Legionella risk assessment
- Dated assessment covering water system. Note any actions taken.
- Insurance certificates
- Public liability, buildings, contents - showing current cover and amounts.
- Licence documentation (Scotland)
- Licence certificate, application confirmation, renewal dates.
- Booking records
- For VOA business rates confirmation - guest names, dates, payments.
Digital compliance pack
Consider keeping digital copies (scans or photos) in cloud storage. This means:
- You can share documents quickly with assessors or insurers
- You have backup if originals are lost
- You can access them remotely when managing the property
Organise by document type with clear file names including dates (e.g., "Gas-Safety-Certificate-2025-06-15.pdf").
Common mistakes to avoid
- No fire risk assessment: Sleeping accommodation requires documented fire safety measures
- Missing gas safety checks: Annual checks are legally required - keep the certificate available for guests
- Wrong insurance: Standard home insurance doesn't cover holiday letting
- Missing VOA annual confirmation: Failure to confirm can reclassify you to Council Tax