Understanding Fire Safety Challenges in Build-to-Rent Developments
The Build-to-Rent (BTR) sector has experienced significant growth, offering residents high-quality living spaces with professional management. However, this growth brings unique fire safety challenges. High occupancy rates, diverse tenant profiles, and the need for consistent safety standards across multiple properties make fire safety management complex.
Traditional fire safety systems may not provide the comprehensive oversight required for BTR developments. Without integrated monitoring and management, there's a risk of delayed responses, non-compliance with regulations, and potential harm to residents and property.
Key Fire Safety Challenges in the BTR Sector
Fragmented Monitoring Across Multiple Sites: Managing fire safety across various locations can lead to inconsistent practices and delayed responses.
Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to evolving fire safety regulations requires meticulous record-keeping and timely maintenance, which can be challenging without centralised systems.
Inconsistent Maintenance Records: Manual record-keeping increases the risk of errors and missed maintenance, potentially compromising safety.
Delayed Incident Response: Without real-time monitoring, identifying and responding to fire incidents promptly becomes difficult, increasing potential risks.
Everyday Risks: Common Fire Hazards in Residential Properties
Fires in residential homes most often originate from familiar domestic routines. Cooking appliances left unattended, overloaded plug sockets, and careless smoking habits remain some of the most frequent causes. In BTR properties, where space may be shared or densely arranged, these everyday risks can escalate quickly if not properly managed.
It’s easy to overlook how quickly a small oversight, such as a cigarette stubbed out in a plant pot or a kettle left on boil, can become a major safety concern. In multi-unit buildings, these issues don’t just endanger one household; they compromise the safety of an entire floor, or even an entire block.
Equipment: From Legal Minimums to Best Practice
UK legislation mandates that landlords install working smoke alarms on every floor and carbon monoxide alarms in any room with a solid fuel-burning appliance. But in the BTR landscape, where reputational risk and tenant expectations are high, meeting the minimum isn’t always enough.
Many responsible housing providers go further by equipping kitchens with heat alarms and fire blankets, and placing extinguishers in communal areas. What matters just as much as the equipment itself is how and where it’s installed. For instance, alarms should be ceiling-mounted and positioned away from steam-producing areas to prevent false alarms, while extinguishers need to be easy to access without obstructing escape routes.
Regular maintenance is critical. Devices degrade over time, and without routine checks, even the most advanced system can become unreliable. The legal responsibility for ensuring that alarms and equipment are working properly ultimately lies with the landlord, but many tenants remain unaware of what’s expected of them. Clear communication and documented evidence of inspections can prevent legal disputes and, more importantly, save lives.
Implications of the Fire Safety Act for High-Rise BTR Properties
The Fire Safety Act 2021, introduced in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, places greater responsibility on building owners and managers to ensure comprehensive fire risk assessments are carried out. The Act clarifies that the structure and external walls of a building - including cladding, balconies, and windows, as well as entrance doors to individual flats that open into common parts, must be included in fire risk assessments for multi-occupied residential buildings.
For BTR operators, especially those managing high-rise developments, this has profound implications:
They must ensure assessments are updated and inclusive of these extended elements.
There is a need for reliable systems that support transparency, record-keeping, and regulatory readiness.
Failure to comply could lead to enforcement action and reputational damage.
The Golden Thread: Accountability and Information Management
The “Golden Thread” is a central concept from the Building Safety Act and refers to the digital record of building safety information that must be created, maintained, and updated throughout the lifecycle of a building. For BTR operators, this means:
Storing key fire safety and structural information in a digital format that can be accessed by relevant stakeholders.
Ensuring information is accurate, up-to-date, and securely maintained - from design through to occupation and ongoing maintenance.
Supporting transparent decision-making and providing auditable trails for regulatory compliance.
Drax Technology’s platform plays a vital role in maintaining the Golden Thread by:
Providing a centralised digital hub for all fire system activity and maintenance logs.
Enabling easy access to fire safety data across the entire BTR portfolio.
Ensuring that safety-critical information is always up-to-date and available to building owners, operators, and regulators.
This approach not only supports compliance but also builds resident trust, as safety becomes a visible and verifiable priority.
Navigating the Regulatory Landscape: LACORS and Legal Duties
Understanding the legal framework around fire safety is essential. The Housing Act 2004 sets out landlord obligations, including the need to assess properties under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). These risk assessments should be updated regularly, especially when property layouts or tenant usage change.
The LACORS Fire Safety Guidance remains one of the most relevant documents for BTR operators and housing associations. It takes a risk-based approach, recognising that not all homes are built or used the same way. The guidance outlines appropriate measures for different property types - ranging from single dwellings to HMOs and converted buildings - emphasising the importance of escape route clarity, alarm coverage, and fire compartmentation.
Critically, LACORS recognises the value of digital systems that help landlords stay compliant. That’s where companies like Drax Technology come in. With advanced monitoring and alerting tools, our solutions enables landlords to centralise record-keeping, automate compliance reports, and receive real-time alerts when alarms are triggered or go offline. This kind of proactive oversight can make all the difference in both everyday safety and in demonstrating due diligence during inspections.
The High-Rise Challenge: Fire Safety in Multi-Storey Buildings
While all homes require fire safety precautions, BTR developments often involve vertical living across three or more storeys. The implications for safety planning are significant. A fire starting on the ground floor can spread rapidly through stairwells, shafts, or poorly compartmentalised corridors. Conversely, fires in upper floors may hinder escape routes if smoke control and detection systems are inadequate.
That’s why zoning fire alarms (dividing them by floor or use area) is a key strategy. It helps identify the exact location of an incident quickly, speeding up emergency response and helping to contain the damage. Fire doors and wall compartments must be properly maintained to prevent fire and smoke from spreading across floors. And in cases where lift shafts or communal HVAC systems could transmit fire, additional controls may be needed.
Again, digital monitoring offers a powerful advantage here. Our solutions enable landlords to track multiple alarm zones, check device status remotely, and maintain a clear audit trail of tests and alerts. This isn’t just a technical upgrade - it’s a way to materially improve safety outcomes and build trust with residents.
Policy and Transparency: Building Tenant Confidence
In an age where tenant satisfaction is increasingly tied to transparency, formal fire safety policies are no longer optional. Housing associations and professional landlords are expected to publish clear, actionable plans that define roles, outline inspection routines, and set standards for safety procedures.
Drax Technology’s digital tools simplify this process by centralising documentation and automating reminders for compliance tasks. This makes it easy to demonstrate that responsibilities have been met and to produce evidence if ever challenged by authorities or tenants.
More importantly, a visible and well-executed safety policy sends a message: this is a landlord that takes tenant welfare seriously. And in the competitive BTR market, that kind of trust can set one provider apart from another.
How Drax Technology Addresses BTR Fire Safety Challenges
Drax Technology offers advanced fire alarm monitoring solutions designed to meet the specific needs of the BTR sector.
Centralised Monitoring: Drax Technology’s platform provides real-time visibility across all properties, enabling swift identification and response to fire incidents.
Automated Compliance Reporting: Our solution automatically logs all fire safety activities, simplifying compliance with regulations and providing audit-ready reports.
Predictive Maintenance Alerts: Our technology identifies potential issues before they escalate, allowing for proactive maintenance and reducing system downtime.
Customisable Notifications: Alerts can be tailored to notify specific personnel via SMS, email, or app notifications, ensuring the right people are informed promptly.
Benefits of Implementing Drax Technology in BTR Developments
Enhanced Safety: Real-time monitoring ensures immediate detection and response to fire incidents, safeguarding residents and property.
Regulatory Compliance: Automated record-keeping and reporting facilitate adherence to fire safety regulations.
Operational Efficiency: Centralised systems streamline maintenance and monitoring processes, reducing administrative burdens.
Scalability: Our solutions are designed to grow with your portfolio, ensuring consistent fire safety management across all properties.
With over 25 years of experience in fire safety technology, Drax Technology is a trusted partner for BTR operators. Our solutions are tailored to meet the unique challenges of the sector, providing reliable, scalable, and compliant fire safety management.
For more information on how Drax Technology can enhance fire safety in your BTR developments, contact us today.
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