Fire risk assessments in Buckinghamshire
Fire risk assessments and fire safety servicing in High Wycombe, Amersham, Chesham, Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross, Denham, Iver and Aylesbury.
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We cover Buckinghamshire, focusing on the south of the county nearest London: the former Chiltern and South Bucks districts, High Wycombe and Aylesbury. We work there for landlords, letting agents, block managers and employers, in buildings ranging from commuter flats near the Metropolitan line and Chiltern Railways stations to shared houses in High Wycombe and new estates around Aylesbury.
Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service enforces fire safety law across the county and in Milton Keynes, which has its own unitary council. Since 1 April 2020, housing and HMO licensing in the rest of the county have been run by Buckinghamshire Council, a single unitary authority that replaced the county council and the four districts of Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks and Wycombe.
Where we work in Buckinghamshire
- High Wycombe
- Amersham
- Chesham
- Beaconsfield
- Gerrards Cross
- Chalfont St Peter
- Denham
- Iver
- Burnham
- Princes Risborough
- Aylesbury
Chiltern commuter towns and High Wycombe terraces
High Wycombe, one of the county’s largest towns, has the most varied rented stock: Victorian and Edwardian terraces in the valley streets, many let as shared houses, along with flats above shops and former offices converted to housing near the centre. Students at Buckinghamshire New University add to the demand for rooms. In a terraced HMO the escape route usually runs down a single stair to the front door, so detection, the fire resistance of the doors onto that stair and keeping it free of storage are the main concerns.
To the east, Amersham, Chesham, Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross are mostly owner-occupied, but they have a steady supply of flats: low-rise blocks from the 1960s onwards, large Edwardian and interwar houses split into apartments, and newer retirement and apartment schemes near the stations. Aylesbury has grown quickly, with new estates and town-centre flats. In smaller managed blocks the most frequent gaps are fire doors that no longer close, missing smoke seals and service holes left open after maintenance work.
HMO licensing in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire Council applies mandatory HMO licensing to houses occupied by five or more people forming two or more households. Licences are normally granted for up to five years, applications are made online, and the council keeps a public register of licensed HMOs. Running a licensable HMO without a licence is a criminal offence.
We have not found an additional or selective licensing scheme in Buckinghamshire, so smaller shared houses and single-household lets do not appear to need a licence at present; councils can introduce new schemes, so check the current position before you let. Every HMO, licensed or not, must still meet the HMO management regulations on escape routes and alarms. Milton Keynes City Council runs its own licensing, separate from Buckinghamshire Council.
Fire safety law in England
The fire safety rules in Buckinghamshire
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to the common parts of Buckinghamshire’s blocks and HMOs and to every workplace, shop and holiday let. For blocks with two or more flats, the Fire Safety Act 2021 made clear that the assessment includes the structure, the external walls and flat entrance doors. Since 1 October 2023 the responsible person must keep a written record of the whole assessment, and an outgoing responsible person must pass relevant fire safety information to whoever takes over.
Most residential blocks in Buckinghamshire are low or mid-rise, so they face the lighter end of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: fire safety instructions and fire door information for residents, refreshed at least once a year. Any block whose top storey is above 11 metres adds three-monthly checks of communal fire doors. The fire service’s business safety team audits premises under the Fire Safety Order, concentrating on higher-risk buildings and places that have had fires.
Fire safety services in Buckinghamshire
Fire Risk Assessments
On-site fire risk assessments with written reports and prioritised action plans.
Fire Door Inspections
Fire door inspections with door-by-door records, identified defects and recommended actions.
Fire Alarm Servicing & Installation
Fire alarm servicing, installation and system alterations for residential and commercial premises.
Emergency Lighting Servicing & Installation
Emergency-lighting testing, servicing and installation for residential and commercial premises.
AOV & Smoke Control Servicing
Servicing and functional testing of automatic opening vents and associated smoke-control systems.
Get a free quote in Buckinghamshire
Fire safety in Buckinghamshire: FAQs
Do I need a licence for a four-person shared house in High Wycombe?
Not under the current rules as far as we have found. Buckinghamshire Council licenses HMOs with five or more people in two or more households. A smaller HMO must still meet the management regulations and should have a fire risk assessment covering its shared parts.
Who enforces fire safety in Buckinghamshire?
Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, which also covers Milton Keynes. Buckinghamshire Council deals with housing standards and HMO licensing.
Our Amersham block has a new managing agent. What happens to the fire risk assessment?
Where the responsible person changes, the outgoing one must pass on relevant fire safety information, including the assessment record. The new agent should check the assessment is current and review it if anything has changed. Our guide on reviewing a fire risk assessment explains when that is needed.
Do holiday lets in the Chilterns need a fire risk assessment?
Yes. A self-catering cottage or B&B is not treated as a private home under the Fire Safety Order, so the person letting it must assess the fire risk and keep a written record. Our guide Do I need a fire risk assessment? explains who the duty falls on.
Nearby areas
All areas we coverSources
- Buckinghamshire Council: apply for, renew or change an HMO licence
- Buckinghamshire Council: public register of HMOs
- Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service: our business safety team
- Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service: business engagement framework 2025
- GOV.UK: responsible persons in England, changes in fire safety legislation
- Management of HMOs (England) Regulations 2006
Licensing schemes change. Check the current position with your council before relying on this page.