Fire Risk Assessment · Short-Term Lets · Edinburgh
Multi-Unit Short-Term Let Fire Risk Assessment | Edinburgh
How a Fire Risk Assessment identified significant issues affecting the building's only escape route.
Summary
Fire Check Scotland assessed four serviced or short-term-let apartments above another occupancy. The sleeping accommodation relied on a single stair and one principal escape route, so conditions along that route required particularly careful review.
The assessment recorded what was observed, identified evidence that was not available or could not be verified during the visit, and converted the findings into immediate and short-term recommendations. It did not assume that later work had been completed.
The Premises
- Four serviced or short-term-let apartments in an Edinburgh building.
- Sleeping accommodation above another occupancy.
- A single stair forming the principal means of escape.
- Access-controlled final exit used by guests unfamiliar with the building.
Why This Project Was More Complex
Where sleeping accommodation depends on one principal route, storage, combustible materials, service cupboards and unsealed penetrations can affect the protection available to every occupant. The final exit also had to be considered in each operating state, not merely when staff were present.
Alarm servicing, routine testing and emergency-lighting evidence were not adequately available or verified at the assessment. Those gaps were recorded as evidence requirements rather than treated as proof that systems were satisfactory or defective.
Key Technical Themes
- Combustibles and cleaning materials within protected escape-route areas.
- Service penetrations and fire-stopping concerns.
- Service and plant cupboards opening onto the escape route.
- Escape through the access-controlled final exit without a key, code or special knowledge.
- Fire-alarm servicing and testing evidence.
- Emergency-lighting records, testing and verification.
- Management arrangements and supporting documentation.
Fire Check Scotland Approach
The inspection followed the route guests would need to use from the apartments to a place of safety and considered how hazards or failures along that route could affect sleeping occupants.
The report prioritised removal of escape-route hazards, operational testing of the final exit and safety systems, review of compartmentation and fire stopping, and improvements to management records.
Outcome
The dutyholder received a prioritised record of immediate and short-term actions, together with clear requests for testing, certification and review evidence.
Completion of the recommended work and the subsequent condition of the premises were not verified as part of this case study.
Relevance to Similar Clients
Relevant to serviced apartments, short-term lets and other sleeping accommodation where several units depend on a shared or single escape route.