Devon September 2019

Safe as Houses? - Fire safety management in HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) - Antony Bolder 

Fire prevention is a critical component in ensuring the continued safety of people residing in buildings.  As the national tragedy of Grenfell Tower has exposed, the incorrect application of building works or lack of correct planned preventative maintenance programme can have devastating effects.

Having been in the fire service, as an operational officer, fire safety, community safety and health and safety specialist for 27 years, Antony has taken those skill sets into the private sector of fire consultancy.  Working with a host of letting agents and private landlords, and through multiple fire risk assessment surveys,  the level of  understanding in  both active and passive fire safety elements from an owners or `responsible persons` view is still a real issue.  This together with understanding the responsibility to provide fire safety aspects under either the Fire Safety Order or HMO management regulations, many of which are `absolute` under the law, are important elements in ensuring todays landlords or letting agents/management companies are exercising their required duties correctly.

During Antony's presentation he will highlight the following major points:

• Legislation and its effects on pin members
• Fire Dynamics (including fire growth and spread in compartments)
• `Active` and `Passive`systems
• Testing and Inspection programmes (as required by the FSO/MHMOR)
• LandlordsFSO fire management programme as an alternative to paper based documents

ALSO... Comminity matters: talking a whole lot of rubbish and other stories - Rory Cunningham

Becoming a Landlord can be rewarding and lucrative, but also challenging. There are also some very specific challenges that come with renting property to students in the city of Exeter.

Rory Cunningham is keen to share his 11 year experience as the University of Exeter's Community Liaison Manager.

Rory leads a team of Student Community Wardens and has been the first port of call for a range of community challenges and scenarios that have helped shape the advice and support students are offered by the University of Exeter.

Rory is also a lead contact for a variety of community organisations and Resident Groups - some expressing regular concerns about the impact of student housing

Rory aims to share:

• A selection of case studies and scenarios demonstrating how community relations have evolved over the past decade.
• Examples of good practice (and bad practice) within the student/renting sector
• An outline of how Exeter University can support and advise student tenants - even when they live off campus