Furniture Fire Safety Rules for Landlords in Wales: A Plain-English Guide
If you let a furnished property in Cardiff or anywhere else in Wales, the furniture you provide has to meet the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. The rules apply to anyone who supplies furniture in the course of business, and that includes landlords and letting agents, not just shops.
The good news is that compliance is mostly about buying the right items and checking one thing: the label.
What the rules cover
- Sofas, armchairs, upholstered stools and footstools
- Sofa beds, futons and other convertibles
- Beds, divans, bed bases, mattresses and upholstered headboards
- Pillows, scatter cushions and seat pads
- Children’s and nursery furniture
- Bean bags and floor cushions
- Garden furniture that is suitable for use indoors
What they don’t cover
- Bedding such as duvets, sheets and pillowcases
- Mattress protectors
- Curtains and carpets
- Furniture made before 1950
These items still need to be safe under general product safety law. They just don’t need the furniture fire labels.
How to check: the labels
Permanent label. Upholstered furniture should carry a permanent label, usually sewn in under the seat cushions or on the base. It shows the item meets the regulations. If it has been cut off, you have no easy way to prove the item complies.
Mattresses and bed bases. Look for a label showing the item meets BS 7177, the standard for mattresses and divans.
Display label. New furniture comes with a display label (often a swing tag) at the point of sale. You can remove this once you have bought the item. It is the permanent label that matters in the property.
The traps that catch landlords out
- Second-hand furniture from online marketplaces, house clearances or a previous tenant, with the labels missing.
- Furniture left behind when you buy a property. If you let the property with it in, you are supplying it.
- A tenant’s old sofa that you agree to keep for the next tenant. Once you supply it, it is your responsibility.
- Re-covered furniture. New covers have to meet the rules too.
The simple rule is: no label, no let. If you can’t find the label, replace the item.
What happens if you get it wrong
The regulations are enforced by Trading Standards. Supplying non-compliant furniture is a criminal offence and can lead to fines and, in serious cases, imprisonment. More importantly, these rules exist because upholstered furniture has been a major factor in fatal house fires. In Wales, fire hazards are also one of the 29 matters used to judge whether a rented home is fit for human habitation under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act.
The rules are being reviewed
The UK government has been reviewing the 1988 regulations and has announced plans to update them. Until new rules come into force, the 1988 regulations still apply. It is worth buying from suppliers who keep up with the changes, especially if you furnish several properties.
Quick checklist before every tenancy
- Walk through every room and check each upholstered item for its permanent label.
- Check every mattress and bed base for a BS 7177 label.
- Replace anything without a label. Don’t just hope.
- Photograph the labels and keep the photos with your inventory.
- Repeat the check at every changeover, because items get swapped.
This article is general information for landlords, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the latest position with Rent Smart Wales, your local council or a qualified adviser before acting.
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