Fire Hazards - two thirds of tenants don’t feel 100...

A poll of 2,000 non-freehold tenants suggests that almost two-thirds claim not to feel 100 per cent safe in their homes.

Some 41 per cent of respondents state they’ve observed fire safety hazards in their building, including non-existent or faulty sprinkler systems, fire alarms or extinguishers and fire escapes being locked or blocked.

This figure is significantly better than a similar poll 18 months ago, where over two-thirds had observed or experienced fire safety issues in their building.

Tenant and leaseholder awareness of correct fire safety procedures, and who is responsible for them, has also increased.

Some 90 per cent know who to approach with their concerns.

Furthermore, 43 per cent more 2023 respondents said communication from their asset owner or property manager was excellent - almost double the proportion in the 2021 survey.

But Zutec, the firm commissioning the poll, says inconsistencies remain around the availability of information and the responsiveness of the asset owner once an issue has been raised.

For instance, 43 per cent have not seen any fire safety certificates in their building and, only a fifth felt the asset owner responded ‘very quickly’ when issues were raised.

A Zutec spokesperson says: “The findings do show clear improvements in available and accessible building information, and the results show developers and asset owners are regaining trust with tenants.

“However, data discrepancies remain.

“Property owners must now step up and embrace the new regulatory landscape or get left behind as fire-safe guarantees become non-negotiable for existing and future assets.”