Fire, water and food safety records for UK hotels and B&Bs

People sleep in your building. That raises the stakes on fire safety and on water hygiene in a way most hospitality businesses do not face. If you serve breakfast or run a restaurant, food safety records sit on top of that.

This page explains the records UK hotels, guest houses and B&Bs keep, how often, and who checks them, including the fire service and the environmental health officer (EHO). It uses digital compliance logbooks as one way to keep them, not the only way.

What a hotels & b&bs business needs to record

Record	How often	Why it matters
Flushing little-used outlets	Weekly for any room, shower or tap not in regular use	HSE guidance calls for a weekly flushing programme for infrequently used outlets to stop water stagnating.
Sentinel outlet water temperatures	Monthly	Hot outlets should reach at least 50°C within a minute; cold should be below 20°C after running for 2 minutes.
Hot water storage temperature	Monthly, or as your written scheme says	HSE says hot water should be stored at 60°C or above to kill legionella.
Fire alarm test	Weekly, using a different call point each week	Government guidance for guest accommodation describes weekly tests of fire detection and alarm systems, with a log book of results.
Fire door checks	Weekly close check; condition check at least every six months	Fire doors on stairs and escape routes must close properly to hold back smoke while guests get out.
Emergency lighting test	Monthly functional test, annual service by a competent contractor	Guests need lit escape routes if the power fails at night.
Fire drills	At least once a year	GOV.UK says you should hold at least one fire drill a year and keep the results with your fire safety and evacuation plan.
Fridge and freezer temperatures	At least daily	Chilled food must be kept at 8°C or below in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Breakfast cooking and hot holding	Each service	Cooked breakfast items left on a buffet must stay at 63°C or above, or be used within 2 hours.
Room and public area cleaning	Each room turnaround; public areas daily	Shows rooms were cleaned and checked, and is a natural point to run the taps in rooms that sat empty.

Who checks your records

Fire and rescue authority
Enforces the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales. Sleeping accommodation has its own government fire guidance, because guests may be asleep and unfamiliar with the building. Scotland has the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, enforced by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service; Northern Ireland has its own rules.
Local authority environmental health (health and safety)
Councils are usually responsible for health and safety in hotels and catering. That includes how you control legionella in your water system.
Local authority environmental health (food hygiene)
Inspects your kitchen and breakfast service, and gives your food hygiene rating.
Licensing authority (if you have a bar)
Issues and can review your premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003 in England and Wales.

If your records are missing

Fire. You must keep a record of your fire risk assessment, including its findings. Fire officers can give informal advice, issue an enforcement notice with a deadline, or serve a prohibition notice that restricts use of the building straight away. Serious breaches can lead to unlimited fines and up to 2 years in prison (GOV.UK).

Legionella. HSE says records of monitoring, tests and checks should be kept for at least 5 years, and employers with 5 or more employees must record the significant findings of the risk assessment (HSE). Without them, you cannot show the council that your control scheme is working.

Food. Missing kitchen records affect the management part of your food hygiene rating and weaken any due diligence defence under section 21 of the Food Safety Act 1990.

Quick answer

UK hotels and B&Bs need records for fire safety (fire risk assessment, weekly alarm tests, fire door and emergency lighting checks, drills), legionella control (weekly flushing of little-used outlets, monthly temperature checks, kept for at least 5 years) and food safety if they serve food.

Legionella and the rooms nobody stayed in

Legionella bacteria grow in water that sits still at lukewarm temperatures. In a hotel, the risk is not the busy rooms. It is the twin room at the end of the corridor that has been empty for three weeks, or the staff shower nobody uses.

HSE guidance under the L8 Approved Code of Practice sets the figures most hotels work to:

Check	Target	How often
Hot water storage	60°C or above	As your written scheme says, often monthly
Hot water at the outlet	At least 50°C within 1 minute	Monthly at sentinel outlets
Cold water at the outlet	Below 20°C after running for 2 minutes	Monthly at sentinel outlets
Little-used outlets	Flush through	Weekly

The practical problem is knowing which rooms were empty. Tie flushing to your booking system or housekeeping list, so any room that has not been let in a week gets its taps and shower run, and the log shows it.

Fire doors, alarms and night-time escape

Fire doors only work if they close. Wedges, broken closers and damaged seals are among the first things a fire officer looks for. The Home Office guide for small paying guest accommodation suggests a weekly check that fire doors on stairways and escape routes close properly, a fuller condition check every six months, and a log book of tests and maintenance. Electronic records are acceptable. Larger hotels in England should use the sleeping accommodation guide.

Reopening after a quiet season

Seasonal hotels and B&Bs face the highest water risk at reopening, after weeks of standing water. HSE says your records should show whether the system is in use or not in use. Before guests return:

Follow your legionella written scheme, or ask your competent person what it needs before reopening.
Flush every outlet and record the temperatures.
Test the fire alarm and emergency lighting, and check every fire door closes.
Restart kitchen logs: fridges at temperature before food goes in, deep clean signed off, deliveries checked.
Brief new seasonal staff on fire procedures and record the training.

Fewer missed checks

LogBooks Hub sends reminders for weekly flushing and fire tests, stamps each entry with the time and who did it, and lets staff add a photo. The one-click audit pack PDF pulls fire, water and food records together for an inspector.

LogBooks Hub logbooks for hotels & b&bs

These come ready to use from our 90+ digital compliance logbooks. Each one reminds staff when a check is due, records who did it and when, and can hold a photo as evidence.

Legionella flushing log
Water temperature monitoring
Fire alarm weekly test
Emergency lighting test
Fire door inspection
Fire drill record
Room cleaning sign-off
Public area safety checks
Fridge and freezer temperature log
Cooking and hot holding temperature log
Allergen matrix
Accident and incident log
Night porter security log
Pool and spa chemical tests

Free printable versions: Legionella water temperature and flushing log, Fire alarm weekly test log, Emergency lighting test log, Fridge and freezer temperature log, Cooking, cooling, reheating and hot holding log, Cleaning schedule.

Frequently asked questions

Do hotels have to keep legionella records?

If you have 5 or more employees, you must record the significant findings of your legionella risk assessment. HSE also says the results of monitoring, tests and checks should be kept for at least 5 years. Smaller B&Bs do not have to write the risk assessment down, but HSE says a written record is still useful, and it is the easiest way to show the council your water is managed.

How often should you flush taps in empty hotel rooms?

HSE guidance says infrequently used outlets should be flushed weekly. In a hotel, that means any room, shower or tap that has not been used in the past week. Run the water through without creating a spray, and record the date, room and who did it. Your legionella risk assessment may set a different routine for your building.

How often should fire doors be checked in a B&B?

Home Office guidance for small paying guest accommodation suggests checking weekly that fire doors on stairways and escape routes close properly, where a fire alarm system is fitted, and checking their condition at least every six months. Your fire risk assessment should set the routine for your building. Keep a log of each check and any repairs.

Who inspects fire safety in a hotel?

In England and Wales, the local fire and rescue authority enforces the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. In Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service enforces the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. Northern Ireland has separate rules. Officers can inspect at any time and will want to see your fire risk assessment and test records.

Does a B&B need a food hygiene rating?

If you serve food to guests, including breakfast, you are a food business and should register with your council. You will then be inspected and rated. You need a food safety management system and records to match, such as fridge temperatures and allergen information for the 14 allergens.

What should we check before reopening a seasonal hotel?

Start with the water system, because it has been standing. Follow your legionella written scheme, flush all outlets and record temperatures. Then test fire alarms and emergency lighting, check fire doors, deep clean the kitchen, and confirm fridges are at temperature before stocking them. Record each step so you can show it was done.

Official guidance and sources

This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Rules differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; check with your local authority if you are unsure.

Keep these records on your phone

Works on any device in the browser, or grab the iPhone or Android app. From £30 a month for one site and two users.