A Grade D LD2 fire alarm system for a typical London shared house costs from £600 installed and certificated. Here is what that price includes, what pushes it up, and what it costs to keep the certificate current every year.
The short answer
For a typical licensed HMO in London, a Grade D, Category LD2 fire alarm system to BS 5839-6 costs from £600 installed, tested and certificated. That is the system most London councils ask for in their licence conditions for shared houses: mains-powered, interlinked smoke alarms in the escape routes and living rooms, with a heat alarm in the kitchen.
Larger or higher-risk HMOs that need a Grade A panel system start from around £1,200. Annual servicing, which keeps your certificate current for the licensing officer, is from £80 per property per visit. Emergency lighting and extinguishers are extra and are quoted at the survey because they depend on the layout.
What the £600 actually buys
The price is for a complete, working, certificated system rather than a box of alarms. In a standard two or three storey shared house it covers:
- A free site survey to confirm the grade and category your council's licence conditions and your fire risk assessment call for.
- Mains-powered smoke alarms with a sealed backup battery (Grade D1) on each landing and in the hallway, so the escape route is covered on every level.
- Smoke alarms in the living room or any other shared living space (this is what makes it Category LD2 rather than LD3).
- A heat alarm in the kitchen, so cooking does not cause false alarms while a real fire is still detected.
- Interlinking, either hard-wired or radio-linked, so that every alarm sounds when one is triggered.
- Commissioning, a full test of every device, and the BS 5839-6 certificate and system record that your licensing officer, insurer and letting agent will ask to see.
What pushes the price up
Most quotes above £600 are explained by one of the following. A good installer will tell you which applies to your property before you commit.
- More storeys and more rooms. Each extra landing, bedroom-sitting room or second kitchen adds a device.
- Radio-interlinked alarms instead of wired. These avoid lifting floors and chasing walls in a furnished, occupied house, and cost a little more per head.
- Decorative finish. Surface clipped cable is cheaper than cable chased into the wall and plastered over.
- A Grade A panel system. Five or six storey properties, or buildings where the fire risk assessment demands it, need a control panel, manual call points and sounders rather than interlinked alarms.
- Emergency lighting on escape routes, which most councils require in larger HMOs, and extinguishers or fire blankets on each level.
- Access. Vacant properties are quicker to work in than fully occupied houses where the engineer has to work around tenants.
Grade D LD2 or Grade A: who decides?
The grade is set by your council's licence conditions and the property's fire risk assessment, not by the installer. Most London boroughs follow the LACORS housing fire safety guidance, which points shared houses of up to four storeys towards Grade D interlinked alarms and reserves Grade A panel systems for taller or more complex buildings.
If a quote proposes a Grade A system for a two storey shared house, or a Grade D system for a six storey building, ask why. Both cost you money, one now and one when the licensing officer asks for it to be replaced.
The ongoing cost of staying compliant
Installation is the one-off cost. Licence conditions usually also require the system to be tested regularly and serviced by a competent person, with records kept.
- Annual service visit: from £80 per property. Every device is tested, faults are fixed, and a new certificate is issued on the day.
- Regular testing: BS 5839-6 recommends the system is tested at least weekly by the landlord or agent. It takes a minute and should be logged.
- Replacement: sealed-battery alarms have a fixed life, normally ten years from the date on the unit, after which the heads are replaced.
How to compare quotes
Two quotes for an HMO fire alarm can differ by hundreds of pounds and still be for the same system, so compare what is actually written down.
- Does the quote state the grade and category (for example Grade D1, Category LD2)? If not, you cannot check it against your licence conditions.
- Is a BS 5839-6 certificate included, and will it be issued on the day of commissioning?
- Is the interlink type stated (wired or radio), and is the price fixed after a survey rather than estimated from a floor plan?
- Who services it afterwards and at what price? A cheap install with an expensive service contract costs more over five years.
Getting a fixed price for your HMO
Security Red Alert installs and services HMO fire alarm systems across South London, central London and all 32 boroughs. Systems start from £600 installed with the certificate issued on the day, and annual servicing is from £80 per property. Surveys are free and every price is fixed before work starts. Call 020 8946 5567 or use the enquiry form to book a survey.
Need help with this in London?
Security Red Alert covers all 32 London boroughs from our Summerstown SW17 office. Explore our Fire Alarm Installation, Home Fire Alarms and Fire Extinguishers services, or call 020 8946 5567 for a free survey.