Many landlords like to offer their homes as furnished to entice tenants with the prospect of moving into a ready-made home. But did you know that there are regulations that must be adhered to with regard to rental furnishings? Your furniture and furnishings must meet fire safety standards in order to conform with The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended 1993). If your furnishings do not comply, you may face a fine or even imprisonment, in the case of fire and/or harm to tenants caused by unsafe goods at your property.

Furniture and Furnishings

Whilst most furniture and soft furnishings manufactured in the UK after 1990 meet current fire safety standards and will have a permanent label confirming this, some may not. And if you’ve supplied items that were manufactured abroad, we strongly advise you to take a close look at just how fire-safe they are. These include:

• Three piece suites, armchairs and sofas
• Scatter cushions, seat pads and bean bags
• Beds, padded headboards, mattresses and pillows
• Convertible sofa beds and futons
• Loose and stretched covers for upholstered furniture
• Nursery furniture and garden furniture suitable for indoor use

If you even suspect that an item may be a fire hazard, remove and replace it before your tenants move in. Carpets, curtains, bed linen, duvets, loose mattress covers and furniture manufactured before 1950 are all exempt from regulations. But, as above, follow your instincts – all tenants want to feel safe, protected and secure during their tenancies.

Is my furniture fire-resitant?

In order to be deemed “fire resistant”, all furniture must pass various tests that guarantee that it is fire safe. All post-1950 furniture must have:

• Covers which cannot be set alight by a lighted match
• Covers which do not ignite if a smouldering cigarette is placed on them
• Filling materials which can pass a standard ignitability test
• Labels that prove that the item complies with the regulations Both the filling and the covers must comply with the regulations because the toxic fumes from ignited fillings can be a cause of death.

If in doubt, check for the labels! All fire-safe furniture should have them.

The risks

If your furniture does not comply to these standards, you could face:

• A fine of £5,000 per item failing to comply
• Six months’ imprisonment
• Prosecution by your tenant for civil damages
• Invalidation of your property insurance
• And even potential manslaughter charges in the event of death

These regulations will be enforced by local Trading Standards.

How to comply

• Buy from a known, reputable retailer
• Always keep your receipts as proof of purchase
• Be aware that furniture stores have a duty to comply to these regulations
• If in doubt, speak to Trading Standards or don’t buy!

As a landlord, you are obliged to show “due diligence” – which means to ensure that you have taken all the steps you can to make sure that your furniture meets these safety regulations. Otherwise, you run the risk of being charged as above.

Don’t take the risk!

Julie Twist Properties offers a full furniture and furnishings service. We’ll create the look and feel you want your rental property to have whilst ensuring that every item complies with safety standards. Just give us your brief – from trendy to traditional – and we’ll do the rest. We’ve even got statistics to prove that a property furnished by us finds tenants faster!

Julie Twist Properties has rented and sold property in Manchester City Centre for the past 20 years, and is a leader in the market. Julie won Estate Agency of the year in 2005 and has been on the judging panel in London ever since. Apartments in Manchester City Centre are her passion. Julie Twist Properties offers a full Rental Management service, taking care of all aspects of your Let for you.