Fire Exit in a B&B that goes through next door

[Guest Angela Eaton]

Hi, We are considering purchasing a B&B. It is situated next door to another B&B (terraced) and the vendor currently owns both, and has run both as one hotel. We now want buy half as they are for sale separately with separate deeds. There is a doorway in the roof space (4 floors up) between the 2 properties with fire corridors to either side. We have been told by the vendors that we can't block up this doorway or remove the fire corridor as it is fire access to both sides. In other words next doors customers could potentially escape down our stairs and vice versa. The door that is between the properties is too small for a fire escape though (you would have to duck to go through, even me at 5ft!) Surely if we sever properties then we can block this up?  I understand that we would then need to ensure another means of escape or not use the top floor, I guess. She has said that the doors to the corridors are both alarmed but when we buy we will need sever from the alarm system so will be putting in our own system. Should there be some legal paperwork that we could ask to see if a means of escape is still required? Also, if we have their guests as well as our guests using our stairs then we would be over our 'person' limit for fire safety?

[Tom Sutton]

Means of escape (MoE) through another person's property is not advised but in some cases they are accepted, but if they are, there must be a legal agreement, agreed and signed by each party, to ensure the MoE is available at all relevant times, check it out with your solicitor.

You need to check, if you separate the premises, will your MoE will be satisfactory without the bypass exit to next door.

The second point is what you are going to use your premises for, this will determine which guide is relevant, if at all?

[AnthonyB]

Whilst you have no obligation to do so I would get an accredited fire risk assessment provider to inspect the premises with a few to the real implications of a split as part of due diligence before purchasing as there is a risk you could inherit a premises with restrictions on usage or requiring capital expenditure to be compliant.

Having done FRAs as part of purchasing due diligence whilst many are smooth there have been others leading to either a renegotiated price or even withdrawal from the purchase.