Fire safety tips for council tenants
Fire safety in blocks of flats is extremely important.
A key part of fire safety is keeping the communal areas safe and clear. You must not leave items in communal areas.
This includes:
- buggies or prams
- bikes
- children’s toys
- furniture or items waiting for rubbish collection
- mobility scooters.
Communal areas include:
- entrance halls and landings
- stairs and stairwells
- balconies and walkways
- meter cupboards.
Landlord's legal duty
As landlords, we have a legal duty to ensure the safety of communal areas. This means that if there was a fire, there must be nothing in these areas that could:
- prevent or slow down residents from escaping the building
- prevent the fire services from carrying out their duties
- give off toxic smoke or gas when burning
- explode due to high temperatures (such as glass)
- cause the fire to spread.
Items left in communal areas will be removed
We inspect the communal areas where you live regularly. Any items found will be removed, and a fee will be charged for them to be returned.
We'll usually give a warning before we remove an item but it will be removed immediately if it's considered high risk.
Where you can put your items
Your belongings should be stored in your flat.
In some areas, we may be able to consider providing external storage using the Estate Improvement Fund.
If you have any ideas about this, contact the Housing Services Team.