Back to Back Housing Fire Safety Requirements

Back to Back Housing Fire Safety Requirements

14:34 PM, 8th July 2014, About 10 years ago 14

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Bradford Council are forcing me to put an LD3 interlinked fire detection system in a 2 bed back to back house.

I believe this is unnecessary.

I have checked LACORS and RLA guidance and think the council is just trying to push this through. Back to Back Housing Fire Safety Requirements

As far as I can tell the requirement only comes in after a major refurbishment, which this house does not need.

It currently has battery powered smoke alarms with a 10 year life cycle.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks

Adrian


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AllinLeedsRooms

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18:54 PM, 9th July 2014, About 10 years ago

So to update - my complaint has resulted in the council stating - you are quite right - LACORS offers guidance rather than legislation but --- The Council has chosen to utilise the guidance in establishing its standards.
Additional guidance between the RLA and LACORS does not include back to back to properties.
LACORS guidance recommends the installation of an LD3 alarm in back to back properties and this is replicated in the councils own standard (although of course the council doesn't actually do this in its own back to back housing stock) and the notification of works you have recieved.
Now they are inspecting the property again to see if the notice of works has been adhered to even though this isn't legislated for!
Any comment or thoughts welcome

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

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19:08 PM, 9th July 2014, About 10 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "AllinLeedsRooms " at "09/07/2014 - 18:54":

Deny them access to the property and force them to show their hand.
.

Michael Barnes

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20:54 PM, 9th July 2014, About 10 years ago

Doesn't sound anything more than a good landlord would do anyway.

LD3 just says "detectors in all escape routes". In your case this appears to be one at the top of the stairs and one near the bottom (unless escape route goes through other rooms).
Interconnected means valuable time may be gained if fire starts near the exit, as alarm will sound throughout the building.

Interconnected battery units appear to be suitable for the conditions you have specified. Or did you mean to say "mains powered"?

Steve Gracey

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9:35 AM, 11th July 2014, About 10 years ago

I wonder what standard they work to in their own properties? It would be unfair for Councils to get Private Landlords providing more than what they do themselves.

I had something similar but regarding electrics. They were passed as being up to standard (may have been 17th edition) but then somehow the council contacted me a couple of years later saying they were dangerous and needed to be uprated at a cost of several hundred pounds. A new standard (I guess 18th edition was just out). Their letter was sneakily worded in such a way that you would believe it was a necessity but turns out this standard was just advisory. I found out that none of their properties complied with this new standard so I told them to sod off - if they wanted it doing that badly they would have to pay, and they should get all their council houses done if it really was that dangerous.

I presume they have targets to get houses up to the latest standards and rather than spend their own money doing their own properties they scare / intimidate Private Landlords to do it, and then take the credit for it.

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