Fire safety & building regulations

A safe home is a pleasant home. The good news: for an ordinary hospita room you usually don't need to do anything drastic. The main rule, smoke detectors, already applies to every home anyway. This page sets out what to look out for as a host.

Smoke detectors are mandatory

Since 1 July 2022 a smoke detector is mandatory on every floor of a home, including existing buildings. This applies to all homes, so also when you rent out a room. A few things to keep in mind:

• Place a smoke detector on every floor with a living, sleeping or occupied space.
• Be sure to put one in your tenant's bedroom and along the escape route (hallway, landing, stairwell).
• Use detectors that last at least ten years; as the owner/landlord you are responsible for installing them.

Want to know more? See Rijksoverheid or Brandweer Nederland (in Dutch).

The building code (now: Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving)

Since 1 January 2024 the structural requirements for homes are set out in the Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving (the successor to the Bouwbesluit, part of the Environment and Planning Act). For a single hospita room in your own home nothing changes in practice: your home already meets the requirements and no separate permit is needed.

When do stricter requirements apply?

Do you rent rooms to several people, or convert a self-contained home into separate rooms? Then your municipality may impose extra requirements, such as a conversion permit (omzettingsvergunning) or additional fire-safety measures. For classic hospita rental (you live there yourself, one tenant) this is almost never the case. In doubt? Check your municipality's rules via your province page in this Help Center.

Practical tips for a safe room

• Keep the escape route clear, so everyone can get out quickly in a fire.
• Have a gas heater or geyser? Then also fit a carbon monoxide alarm.
• A fire blanket in the kitchen is cheap and life-saving.
• Briefly discuss with your tenant what to do in case of fire, a reassuring five-minute chat.