Tenancy conditions for fire safety in council homes
Within your tenancy conditions there are several terms relating to fire safety. These include the following:
Banned items
To prevent fires some items are banned from council properties, including paraffin heaters and liquid petroleum gas.
Adaptations
Your home has been designed and built with fire safety in mind. Both in single dwellings and blocks of flats, the walls, doors and stairs, are specially designed to resist fire and stop the spread of smoke. You should therefore not make changes to the layout of your property without obtaining permission from the council.
Security grilles
Fitting security grilles to front doors and windows may make your home feel safer from intruders; however, this will make it more difficult for fire fighters to rescue you.
We do not permit residents to fit security grilles over front doors and any internal window grilles must conform to building regulations.
For further advice you should contact your area housing team.
Communal areas and balconies
Communal areas such as corridors, staircases and balconies should be kept clear. Domestic waste and rubbish should be put in the bins or chutes. Do not store or leave items in the communal areas. This might stop people escaping and may hinder fire fighters from rescuing people.
Outside the building, roads and other areas are designed so that emergency vehicles can get as near as possible. Never obstruct them.