Landlords and agents must ensure any furniture or
furnishings they provide in a property in North Somerset meet the
appropriate fire safety standards.
Many domestic fires and deaths are caused by soft
furnishings catching fire and the highly poisonous fumes their
man-made foams and coverings give off.
The
Furniture
and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988
set fire resistance standards for domestic upholstered
furniture, furnishings and other upholstered products.
These act as secondary legislation under the
Consumer
Protection Act 1987 and amended regulations introduced
in 1993 drew specific attention to providing furnished
accommodation.
Under these regulations landlords and agents must
ensure their furniture and furnishings meet and past the
following standards and tests:
- Upholstered articles must have fire resistant filling
material
- Upholstered articles must have passed the match resistance
test
- Combinations of cover fabric and filling material
must have passed the cigarette resistance test
If manufactured after 1 March 1989 or sold by a retailer
after 1 March 1990 the following products must meet these standards
and be labelled accordingly:
- Beds, headboards and mattresses
- Extra or replacement furniture purchased for rented
accommodation
- Futons, sofa beds and other convertibles
- Garden furniture suitable for use inside a
property
- Loose and stretch covers for furniture
- Nursery furniture
- Pillows, scatter cushions and seat pads
However, the following products are not covered by the
regulations:
- Antique or any furniture made before 1950
- Bedclothes and duvets
- Carpets and curtains
- Loose mattress covers
- Pillowcases
- Sleeping bags
When buying new or second-hand furniture for a rental
property, landlords should always check there is an
appropriate safety label.
Furniture or furnishings purchased after 1 March 1990 from a
reputable supplier should also all have the following labels
attached:
- Display labels - All furniture will carry the
appropriate display label at point of sale
- Permeant labels - All new furniture and covers for
furniture except mattresses and bed bases must carry a permanent
and non-detachable label
The maximum penalty for failure to comply with these
regulations is six-months in jail, a £5000 fine or
both.
