A company that houses vulnerable adults has been ordered to pay more than £100,000 after a fire at one of its properties in Barrow-in-Furness, and the building's owner has been fined too. The case, prosecuted by Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service at South Cumbria Magistrates' Court, is a stark reminder that in supported and shared housing, fire safety duties often sit with more than one organisation – and none of them can hand the job off entirely to the other.
What happened
According to Fire Safety Matters, a fire broke out at the property on 1 June 2023. Two men were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries and a third was treated for smoke inhalation. One tenant suffered life-changing burns and spent months in hospital.
When the fire and rescue service inspected the building afterwards, it found a series of failings, including:
- Flat entrance doors that did not provide the required 30 minutes' fire resistance and had no self-closing devices, intumescent strips or smoke seals (and only two hinges rather than three)
- No records showing the fire alarm and emergency lighting had been properly maintained
- Combustible wall cladding lining the hallway – the main escape route
- Electrical intake units on the escape route that were not enclosed in fire-resisting construction
- No fire extinguishers in the communal areas
- No suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment by either company, despite the building housing vulnerable residents
MY SPACE Housing Solutions Ltd pleaded guilty and was fined £100,000 plus £15,000 costs. The premises owner and landlord, Copperplane Ltd, was fined £10,000 plus £5,000 costs for failing to maintain the fire alarm and emergency lighting. The court heard that the housing company's management has changed substantially since 2023.
The District Judge described the management failures as systemic, and made a point every landlord should note: Copperplane could not simply rely on assurances from the housing provider, and had failed to check for itself whether the premises complied with fire safety requirements.
What this means for you
This case speaks directly to anyone involved in supported housing, exempt accommodation, care and support schemes, HMOs and leased-out residential blocks – which covers a lot of the buildings we assess across the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, duties do not only fall on the "responsible person". Article 5 extends them to anyone who has control of the premises to any extent, and to anyone who has a contractual or tenancy obligation for maintenance, repair or safety. In practice that often means:
- Building owners and landlords who lease a building to a housing provider are not automatically off the hook. If the lease leaves you responsible for the fire alarm, emergency lighting or the structure, those duties are yours.
- Housing providers and managing organisations who run the day-to-day service carry their own duties, including ensuring a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is in place.
- Where residents are vulnerable, the bar is higher. A risk assessment has to account for how people will actually be warned and get out – not just whether the building has an alarm.
Since January 2023, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 have also required responsible persons in buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises to give residents information on the importance of fire doors, and in buildings over 11 metres to check communal fire doors quarterly and flat entrance doors annually (on a best-endeavours basis).
Practical checklist
If you own, lease or manage residential or supported accommodation, ask yourself:
- Is there a current, suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment – and does it reflect who actually lives there, including any residents who may need help to escape?
- Is it clear who is responsible for what? Check your lease or management agreement. Who maintains the alarm, emergency lighting, fire doors and the fabric of the building? Write it down.
- If you're the landlord, are you verifying – not just trusting? Ask for copies of the fire risk assessment, alarm and emergency lighting service records, and evidence that actions have been closed out.
- Are flat entrance doors genuinely fire-resisting? Look for self-closers that actually close the door, intact intumescent strips and smoke seals, and proper hinges. A door that looks solid isn't necessarily a fire door.
- Are escape routes clear of combustible linings and unprotected services? Corridors and stairs should stay sterile.
- Are maintenance records kept and up to date? If it isn't recorded, you will struggle to show it was done.
How Obelisk can help
At Obelisk Fire Safety, we carry out fire risk assessments to BS 9792:2025 for housing and PAS 79-1:2020 for other premises, along with detailed fire door inspections and surveys. We work with social housing providers, care and support schemes, HMO landlords, schools and NHS premises nationwide, with a focus on the East Midlands and surrounding areas.
If you're not sure where your responsibilities start and end – or you want an independent check on a building you own or manage – get in touch:
- Email: info@obeliskfire.co.uk
- Phone: 07407 156178
This article is for general information and does not constitute legal advice.