Fire safety fears prompt HMO review

More than 20 houses in multiple occupancy (HMOs) are being reviewed amid fears over fire safety.

City of Durham Parish Council said it had analysed planning and licensing data from the last year and discovered potential failings including bedrooms opening directly on to kitchens and missing fire doors in 21 properties.

Parish councillor Roger Cornwell said: "Our investigation has found repeated warning signs."

The findings have been passed to Durham County Council, which has agreed to review the claims but warned the information came from "public records [that] may not reflect the current layout, occupation, or condition of a property."

Only HMOs which contain five or more people, made up of two or more households, are inspected to ensure they meet fire safety standards, according to the parish council.

But a spokesperson said many HMOs in the city contained three or four individuals and so were not inspected as part of these licensing rules.

Cornwell said: "Each case now needs a proper inspection, with urgent action wherever residents are at risk."

Durham County Council's acting head of community protection Owen Cleugh said: "We are currently reviewing the information provided by the parish council and we are working with County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service while we consider what further action may be needed for these properties.

"This information... needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis before any decision is taken as to what further action, if any, is needed."

He confirmed that smaller HMOs do not face the same requirements as some others, but promised: "Where concerns about housing conditions are raised, we will use wider housing powers even if the property is not required to hold an HMO licence."

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