Almost two-thirds of UK tenants don’t feel 100% safe in their homes, according to Zutec.

The digital construction solution provider found that only four in 10 tenants surveyed said they feel completely safe in their property, with many worried about fire safety.

Just 40% stated they have access to, or have seen, building fire certificates while only one-fifth felt satisfied safety issues were resolved quickly once they had been raised and acknowledged.

Safety hazards

Two-fifths (41%) of respondents stated they’ve observed fire safety hazards in their building, including non-existent or faulty sprinkler systems, fire alarms or extinguishers and fire escapes being locked or blocked.

The good news is that tenant and leaseholder awareness of correct fire safety procedures, and who is responsible for them, has increased since the poll was last carried out in 2021. An impressive 90% know who to approach with their concerns.

Furthermore, 22% more 2023 respondents said communication from their asset owner or property manager was excellent (43%), compared with 2021 levels.

Emily Hopson-Hill, Zutec’s chief operating officer, said: “Overall, the findings do show clear improvements in available and accessible building information, and the results show developers and asset owners are regaining trust with tenants. However, data discrepancies remain.

“Property owners must now step up and embrace the new regulatory landscape or get left behind as fire-safe guarantees become non-negotiable for existing and future assets.”