As the holiday season approaches, a Christmas Fire Safety Alert is crucial for all property owners. December is the most profitable month for most landlords… and the most dangerous. Electrical Safety First reports that accidental dwelling fires spike by up to 50 % in December. London Fire Brigade attends an extra fire every four hours during the festive period. A single insurance claim for fire damage in a rental property now routinely exceeds £80,000 once you factor in rehousing costs, loss of rent, and repairs. The three biggest culprits this year are exactly the things your tenants are bringing home right now:
1. Lithium-Ion Batteries (e-bikes, e-scooters, power banks, vapes)
A lithium-ion battery fire is not a normal fire.
It goes from zero to 600 °C in seconds, shoots a jet flame up to 8 metres, and releases toxic, explosive gases. Water often makes it worse. Most domestic extinguishers are useless against it.Real examples from the last 12 months:
- Tenant charged an e-scooter battery on the landing → entire block of flats lost, £2.4 million damage.
- Student left an e-bike charging in a bedroom → four adjoining houses destroyed.
What landlords must do immediately:
- Add a clear clause to your AST banning charging or storage of e-bikes/e-scooters inside the property or communal areas.
- Send every tenant a short fire-safety letter (or WhatsApp/email) before 1 December spelling out the risk and the ban.
- Consider providing (or requiring) an outdoor, fire-rated metal storage cabinet with built-in charging if you want to stay tenant-friendly.
- Install interconnected heat alarms (not just smoke alarms) in hallways and bedrooms — they react faster to the intense heat of a battery fire.
2. Unauthorised 7 kW EV Chargers
Tenants are buying electric cars faster than ever. Many decide to “save money” by installing their own wall charger — often DIY or via a cowboy electrician — straight through the consumer unit.
Common faults we see:
- No RCD protection
- Undersized cabling
- Charger mounted on a combustible wall (wood cladding, inside a garage full of Christmas presents)
- Extension leads used because the supplied cable isn’t long enough
A single faulty EV charger fire can easily exceed £150,000 in damage and voids most buildings insurance policies if it wasn’t professionally installed and declared.Action steps:
- Add a clause requiring written landlord permission for any EV charger installation.
- Require proof of Part P certification and OZEV approval.
- Carry out mid-term inspections in November/December specifically looking for new cables or chargers.
- If you do allow charging, insist on a proper rolec/podpoint/Zappi unit installed by an OZEV-registered installer with load-curtailment device.
3. Cheap LED Fairy Lights & Flammable Decorations
The £2.99 set of 200 LED lights from the online marketplace is the silent killer.
Many fail to meet British Standards, overheat after a few hours, and are draped over artificial Christmas trees that burn like petrol when ignited.Quick checks for tenants (send this as a festive-season reminder):
- Only buy lights marked BS EN 60598 (the proper British Standard).
- Never leave fairy lights on unattended or overnight.
- Keep trees and decorations at least 1 metre from heaters, candles, or open fires.
- Real trees dry out after 2–3 weeks and become extremely flammable — water the base daily.
- No aerosol snow spray or cotton-wool “snow” near lights — both are highly combustible.
Your 5-Minute Christmas Fire-Safety Letter to Tenants (copy and send today)
Subject: Quick Christmas fire safety reminder – please read
Hi [Tenant name],With Christmas coming up we just wanted to remind everyone of a few simple rules that keep everyone safe (and keep your deposit intact!):
1.No charging or storing e-bikes, e-scooters, or hoverboards inside the property or communal areas
2.No installing EV chargers without our written permission and professional certification
3.Only use fairy lights with the British Standard mark (BS EN 60598)
4.Switch off and unplug all Christmas lights when you go out or go to bed
5.Keep trees, presents, and decorations well away from heaters and candles
A serious fire would be devastating for everyone, so thank you for your help.
Wishing you a safe and happy Christmas! [Your Name]
Landlord / [Your Company]
Send it now — before the decorations go up.
One short message and a couple of tenancy-agreement updates could save you tens — or hundreds — of thousands of pounds this December.Stay safe, stay insured, and have a very merry (and fire-free) Christmas.
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