Compliance & maintenance
In short
Best overall: Sealey Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher, £53.95 at Tooled Up. Best value: Fire Angel Optical Smoke Alarm SB1-T, £12.35. Premium pick: Sealey Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguisher, £129.95.
Across the 183 matching listings we screened from 3 UK suppliers, most cost £12–£44 and the middle price is £18. Prices checked 27 October 2026.
Fire safety is the area councils check most closely when licensing an HMO. This shortlist brings together extinguishers, fire blankets and alarms from UK supplier feeds, so you can compare the market spread for each item.
Most HMO fire guides stop at general advice. Below are the specific duties in England, what the national LACORS guidance says about extinguishers and blankets, and the door and alarm details that catch landlords out.
| # | Product | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best overall Sealey Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher | £53.95 | Details |
| 2 | Kidde FB1 Fire Blanket | £31.95 | Details |
| 3 | Best value Fire Angel Optical Smoke Alarm SB1-T | £12.35 | Details |
| 4 | Sealey Fire Blanket | £29.95 | Details |
| 5 | Sealey Foam Fire Extinguisher | £95.95 | Details |
| 6 | Sealey Disposable Dry Power Fire Extinguisher | £35.95 | Details |
| 7 | Premium pick Sealey Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguisher | £129.95 | Details |
| 8 | Sealey Double Fire Extinguisher Stand | £96.95 | Details |
1 · Best overall
Sealey · Sold by Tooled Up
The Sealey 2kg Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher offers enhanced fire-fighting capacity with a Fire Rating of 13A, 70B, making it suitable for a broader range of applications including vehicles subject to Carriage of Dangerous Goods (ADR) regulations.
2
Kidde · Sold by Tooled Up
The Kidde FB1 Fire Blanket is an essential fire safety product designed for tackling fat-pan fires in kitchens, where using a fire extinguisher could dangerously spread burning fat or oil.
3 · Best value
Fire Angel · Sold by UK Office Direct Limited
Large central test and silence button feature. 1 x 9V replaceable battery included. High performance optical sensor. Sounds a loud 85dB alarm (3 meters). Certified to BS EN 14604:2005.
4
Sealey · Sold by Tooled Up
The Sealey Fire Blanket is a general-purpose fire safety solution designed for kitchens, caravans and similar environments where quick fire suppression may be required.
5
Sealey · Sold by Tooled Up
The Sealey 6 litre foam fire extinguisher is a professional-grade AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) extinguisher designed for tackling Class A and B fires in commercial and industrial environments.
6
Sealey · Sold by Tooled Up
The 950g capacity Sealey Disposable Dry Power Fire Extinguisher provides enhanced fire-fighting capability with a Fire Rating of 21B, making it the ideal choice for larger vehicles, workshops, and domestic premises requiring superior protection levels.
7 · Premium pick
Sealey · Sold by Tooled Up
The Sealey Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguisher is a 2kg CO² unit designed for tackling Class B fires and incidents involving live electrical equipment.
8
Sealey · Sold by Tooled Up
The Sealey Double Fire Extinguisher Stand is a free-standing storage solution designed for workshops, warehouses and commercial premises where wall mounting is not practical or permitted.
Under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, as amended from 1 October 2022, landlords must fit at least one smoke alarm on each storey used as living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker. Alarms must be checked on the first day of a new tenancy and repaired or replaced as soon as reasonably practicable once reported faulty. Councils can fine up to £5,000 where a landlord fails to comply with a remedial notice.
Licensed HMOs meet these duties through licence conditions. For HMOs, LACORS guidance goes further: it says battery-only smoke alarms (Grade F) are not recommended, and multiple alarms must be interlinked. A shared house usually needs a mains-powered Grade D system with battery backup, with extra detection such as a heat detector in the kitchen depending on the layout.
LACORS does not recommend extinguishers inside individual units unless trained resident staff are present, because untrained people may use the wrong type and units can be misused. It recommends a simple multi-purpose extinguisher on each floor of the common parts, with basic advice to tenants at the start of each tenancy.
Where provided, extinguishers should comply with BS EN 3-7, be mounted on a stand or bracket with the handle about 1.5 m from the floor, sit near the exit from each floor without blocking the escape route, and be serviced annually to BS 5306-3. Fire blankets are recommended in every kitchen, light duty, wall-mounted about 1.5 m high and nearer the exit than the cooker. LACORS cites BS 6575, while councils such as Arun now specify BS EN 1869:2019.
LACORS says final exit doors in HMOs should open from the inside without a removable key, using a thumb-turn where security locks are fitted, and strongly recommends the same for each bedroom or flat door. Electrically operated locks must fail safe or have a manual override if the power fails.
The 2006 HMO regulations require appropriate fire precaution facilities and equipment of the type, number and location considered necessary, and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to common parts. Your council sets the final specification, so share your fire risk assessment with the HMO team before buying in bulk.
On our shortlist, the Sealey Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher is the best overall pick at £53.95 from Tooled Up. For a tighter budget, the Fire Angel Optical Smoke Alarm SB1-T (£12.35) is our best-value choice.
Most of the 183 UK listings we screened sit between £12 and £44, with a middle price of £18. Trade suppliers often show prices before VAT, so add 20% if you can't reclaim it.
A VAT-registered business can usually reclaim the VAT on equipment bought for business use, as long as it holds a valid VAT invoice from the supplier. Ask the seller for one at checkout.
The picks here come from Tooled Up, UK Office Direct Limited. Most UK trade suppliers offer next-day delivery and VAT invoices; some offer credit accounts for regular orders.
LACORS recommends a simple multi-purpose extinguisher on each floor of the common parts, but not inside individual rooms unless trained staff are on site. Your council's licence conditions are the final word.
LACORS guidance says battery-only (Grade F) alarms are not recommended in HMOs. Mains-powered alarms with battery backup, interlinked, are the usual minimum.
Yes, if the room is used as living accommodation. Since 1 October 2022 the rule covers any fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker.
LACORS says extinguishers must be tested and maintained annually in line with BS 5306-3 and the manufacturer's instructions, with periodic checks that they are in place.