A landlord has been fined £15,000 after council officers found a house in multiple occupation (HMO) in Barrow town centre with no internal fire doors, a fire alarm system described as "totally inadequate", and no evidence of routine safety checks. The property also had no HMO licence.
Westmorland and Furness Council announced the penalty on 2 November 2026. What makes the case stand out is how it came to light – and the fact that selling the property did not make the problem go away.
What happened
According to the council, the HMO was discovered during a multi-agency response to a spate of accidental and arson fires in Barrow town centre in July 2025, led by Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service. During a door-to-door fire safety operation, officers identified the property as an unlicensed HMO. A full property assessment then revealed significant breaches of the HMO management regulations, including:
- No internal fire doors
- A fire alarm system described as "totally inadequate"
- No compliance safety checks carried out
The landlord began an HMO licence application, but before it was completed the occupants moved out and the property was sold. The council took the view that the sale did not cancel out the licensing and management breaches that had already occurred, and imposed a £15,000 fine.
The council's Cabinet Member for Housing and Community Safety, Councillor Judith Derbyshire, said the complete lack of fire doors and the near-absence of a fire alarm "put multiple lives in that property at risk."
What this means for you
If you let or manage an HMO – whether that's a shared house, bedsits, or a converted building – this case is a useful reality check on three fronts.
1. Selling up or emptying the property doesn't wipe the slate clean. Offences are judged on the conditions at the time. If tenants were living in an unlicensed or unsafe HMO, the exposure remains after they leave.
2. Fire doors and detection are the backbone of HMO fire safety. In shared housing, residents often sleep behind their own locked doors, cook in shared kitchens and rely on a single escape route. Fire-resisting, self-closing doors to rooms off the escape route, combined with an appropriate interlinked alarm, are what buy people the time to get out. Remove either and a small fire can quickly become a fatal one.
3. Enforcement routes are multiplying. This HMO wasn't found through a routine licensing inspection – it was picked up during a fire service-led community safety operation. Fire and rescue services and local authority housing teams share intelligence, and an issue spotted by one can easily lead to action by the other.
Under the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006, the manager of an HMO must keep means of escape from fire free from obstruction and in good repair, and keep fire-fighting equipment and fire alarms in good working order. Mandatory HMO licensing applies to properties occupied by five or more people forming two or more households, and many councils run additional licensing schemes covering smaller HMOs too – so check with your local authority.
The stakes have also risen. Government guidance on civil penalties under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 sets a maximum civil penalty of £40,000 for offences – including HMO licensing and management regulation failures – committed on or after 1 May 2026. Earlier offences are dealt with under the rules in force at the time.
Practical checklist for HMO landlords and managers
- Confirm your licensing position. Is the property licensable under mandatory, additional or selective licensing? If so, is the licence in place and are you meeting its conditions?
- Get a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment of the common parts, carried out by a competent person and reviewed regularly or when anything changes.
- Check every fire door on the escape route. Look for self-closers that fully close the door, intact intumescent strips and smoke seals, gaps within tolerance, and no wedges or damage.
- Test and service the fire alarm. Make sure the system type suits the building, that detectors are in the right places, and that testing and servicing are recorded.
- Keep escape routes sterile. No bikes, bins, stored furniture or combustible items in corridors and stairs.
- Keep records. Alarm tests, emergency lighting checks, door inspections and remedial work – if it isn't written down, you will struggle to prove 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, alongside detailed fire door inspections and surveys. We regularly work with HMO landlords, social housing providers and care and support schemes nationwide, with a focus on the East Midlands and surrounding areas.
If you're not sure whether your HMO's fire doors and alarm would stand up to scrutiny, get in touch for an independent assessment:
- Email: info@obeliskfire.co.uk
- Phone: 07407 156178
This article is for general information and does not constitute legal advice.
Sources
- Westmorland and Furness Council – Landlord fined for unlicensed HMO in Barrow (2 November 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk – Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006, regulation 4
- GOV.UK – Civil penalties under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and other housing legislation
- Derby City Council – About houses in multiple occupation