The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 are the furniture fire safety regulations that matter to landlords. They cover the upholstered furniture, beds, mattresses, pillows and cushions you supply in a furnished let, new or already used. Upholstered pieces other than mattresses and bed bases need a permanent label headed "CARELESSNESS CAUSES FIRE", unless made before 1950. Bedding and carpets are left out. Trading Standards enforces the rules, and supplying furniture that fails them is an offence.
The short version
- Who: anyone who hires out furniture in the course of a business, including landlords and agents.
- What: upholstered furniture, beds, mattresses, pillows and cushions. Not bedding, floor coverings or goods made before 1 January 1950.
- Labels: upholstered furniture needs a permanent label. Mattresses and bed bases do not. Swing tags ended on 30 October 2025.
- Second-hand: on our reading, the rules still apply when you re-let furniture you already own.
- Penalty: up to six months in prison, a fine, or both.
- Proposed: a 2026 consultation would change the tests and move second-hand furniture out of these rules. It is not law.
Do the furniture fire safety regulations apply to landlords?
Yes, when the letting is part of a business. Regulation 15 bars supplying furniture that fails the regulations. The Consumer Protection Act 1987 counts hiring out as supplying goods (section 46(1)) and limits supply here to supply "in the course of a business" (section 46(5)). Business Companion's guidance on new upholstered furniture says the rules apply to landlords, estate agents and letting agents. GOV.UK's January 2025 policy paper says private and social rented homes, HMOs and holiday lets remain in scope.
Whether someone letting a single flat acts in the course of a business depends on the facts, and none of the sources we read settles it. Business Companion's guide to goods in rented accommodation (last reviewed October 2025) says supply can occur when the contract is made, when the tenant moves in, or when goods are newly installed for an existing tenant. Section 46(8) says a renewal of a hire is not a further supply to that person, so on our reading a new tenant means a fresh supply.
Which furniture is covered, and what is left out?
Regulation 3(1) covers furniture of any description ordinarily intended for private use in a dwelling.
| Item in a let | Covered? |
|---|---|
| Sofas, armchairs, sofa beds, upholstered stools | Yes |
| Beds, divans, bases and headboards, mattresses, pillows, cushions | Yes |
| Garden furniture also suitable for indoor use | Yes |
| Bedding, carpets, rugs, mats | No |
| Curtains | Not named in the regulation; Business Companion lists them as excluded |
| Child mattress under 170 cm by 75 cm, cots, cribs, highchairs, prams | No, from 30 October 2025 |
| Goods made before 1 January 1950 (regulation 4) | No |
A child's mattress is excluded only when it is under both measurements, so a 190 cm by 90 cm one stays in. Items outside the 1988 Regulations, such as a child's cot mattress, still have to be safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, according to GOV.UK's guidance.
What label should furniture in a let carry?
Schedule 7 requires a permanent label on all furniture that includes upholstery, except mattresses and bed bases, and on loose covers. The longer form gives the maker's or importer's name and postcode, a batch number, the date made, and the filling and cover materials. The shorter form gives a batch number and a summary of the measures taken to comply. Both begin CARELESSNESS CAUSES FIRE, in at least 10-point type, on a durable label securely attached to an external surface. Each piece of a suite needs one. Business Companion says labels are usually under the main seat cushion or on the base.
The 2025 amendment removed the display label, the swing tag shown at the point of sale. GOV.UK's guidance on the amendment says the permanent label duty is unchanged.
Can I let second-hand furniture or an old sofa?
Regulation 14 treats furniture previously supplied to someone who did not acquire it for a furniture-dealing business as second-hand. On our reading, a sofa you bought for your own rentals fits. Regulation 14(2) says it must satisfy regulations 5, 6 and 8(1) and (2), the cigarette, filling and cover tests. A temporary exemption for furniture re-hired with the same accommodation ended on 31 December 1996.
Regulation 14(2) lists the tests but not the labelling regulation, and the definition of furniture reaches second-hand items for other regulations only. GOV.UK's guidance nonetheless says second-hand supply still requires a permanent label, so expect it to be asked for.
The 2026 consultation says the current rules appear to rule out re-supplying furniture first sold between 1950 and 1988, because it was never tested to the standards or labelled, and that retesting is destructive. Business Companion advises against letting unlabelled items until you hold evidence of compliance.
Who enforces the rules, and what are the penalties?
Section 27 puts the duty on weights and measures authorities. Enfield Council's Trading Standards page lists product safety and the private rented sector among its work, but says it does not offer business advice.
Section 12(1) makes supplying in breach of a prohibition an offence, and section 12(3) does the same for breaking a labelling requirement. Section 12(5) sets up to six months' imprisonment, a fine not exceeding level 5, or both. Section 85 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 removed the £5,000 cap on level 5 fines in England and Wales from 12 March 2015. S.I. 2015/664, which lists the offences excluded from that change, does not mention the 1987 Act, so on our reading the fine is unlimited. For offences committed from 30 October 2025, proceedings must start within 12 months (regulation 16), up from six.
Section 39 gives a defence to a person who shows all reasonable steps and due diligence. The defence is yours to prove, so keep receipts and photographs of labels.
Licensed homes carry a further duty: Schedule 4 to the Housing Act 2004 says licences under Part 2 (HMOs) and Part 3 (selective licensing) must require the holder to keep furniture made available in a safe condition and supply a declaration on demand (our licensing guide).
What changed in 2025, and what is proposed for 2026?
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 30 October 2025 | In force: baby and child products out of scope, display labels gone, 12-month time limit |
| 31 March to 23 June 2026 | Department for Business and Trade consultation |
| Later in 2026 | The consultation says the government will publish its response; we found none on 17 October |
The consultation proposes new regulations based on a smoulder (cigarette) test instead of open-flame tests, with re-upholstery and second-hand upholstered furniture left to the General Product Safety Regulations. On our reading, furniture a landlord re-lets counts as second-hand under regulation 14, so this proposal could take it out of these rules, but the consultation does not say so. It sets no start date and, in the text we read, does not mention rented homes. Until new regulations are made, the 1988 Regulations as amended apply.
A checklist before you let a furnished home
- List every upholstered item, bed, mattress, pillow and cushion in the inventory.
- Find the permanent label on each sofa, chair, cushion and pillow and photograph it at check-in.
- Mattresses and bed bases carry no permanent label. Look for a BS 7177 label or ask the supplier for evidence they comply.
- Take out, or get written evidence for, any other piece with no label.
- Keep receipts for new furniture.
- Repeat the check before each new tenancy.
As an invented illustration, a labelled sofa passes. A 1970s armchair with no label has no evidence it passed and comes out. A duvet is bedding and is outside the regulations.
Our articles on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and gas safety certificates cover two other safety duties. The landlord legislation guide covers the other pre-tenancy duties. If you are weighing up a furnished let in Edmonton or Enfield, ask for a free lettings valuation or get in touch with our lettings team.
Questions readers ask
Do I have to replace old sofas in a furnished let?
Not if the sofa still carries a permanent label showing it met the regulations, or was made before 1 January 1950. An unlabelled sofa has no such proof. Business Companion advises against including unlabelled items in a letting until you have evidence from the manufacturer or original supplier that they comply. Without that evidence, replacing it is the safer route.
Are curtains, carpets and duvets covered?
Regulation 3 excludes bedding and floor coverings, including carpets and mats. It does not name curtains, although Business Companion lists them as excluded. Cushions, pillows, mattresses and the upholstery of sofas and chairs are covered. If you are unsure about an item, read Business Companion's free guidance or ask a solicitor.
Do I still need swing tags on furniture in my rental?
No. Regulation 10, which required a display label (a swing tag) when furniture was offered for sale, was omitted from 30 October 2025. The permanent label that is sewn or fixed to the furniture is still required for upholstered pieces, so do not cut it off or let it wear away.
Do I need to check the furniture again when a new tenant moves in?
On our reading, yes. Section 46(8) of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 says a renewal of a hire is not a further supply to the same person, but a new tenant is a different person. Business Companion says supply can occur when the tenant moves in. Check labels before each new tenancy.
What is the penalty for letting furniture that does not comply?
Section 12(5) of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 sets a maximum of six months in prison, a fine, or both. The Act says level 5, and in England and Wales that level has had no cap since 12 March 2015, on our reading. A landlord can defend a charge by showing all reasonable steps and due diligence under section 39.
Sources
- legislation.gov.uk, Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 and Amendment Regulations 2025, S.I. 2025/531, read on 17 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Protection Act 1987, sections 12, 27, 39 and 46, read on 17 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, section 85 and S.I. 2015/664, read on 17 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, Housing Act 2004, Schedule 4, read on 17 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, Furniture and furnishings fire safety regulations, published 30 April 2025, and Fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture, published 22 January 2025.
- GOV.UK, Product regulation: fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture, consultation 31 March to 23 June 2026.
- Business Companion, Goods in rented accommodation and New upholstered furniture: fire safety, last reviewed October 2025.
- Enfield Council, Trading Standards, read on 17 October 2026.
