BnB fire safety

10 min read

If you own short-stay accommodation within Victoria, you are responsible for providing information and well-maintained fire equipment to guests to help keep them safe during their stay. This includes making sure guests are aware of fire safety information and the steps they can take to be safe. It's also important to have a bushfire plan, so you know how to manage bookings during high risk periods, and when to communicate with guests and staff in the lead up to bad fire days.

Summary

Fire safety and your Bnb

Smoke alarms

Modern heritage-style bedroom with a large window overlooking a garden. The room features a bed with plush pillows, warm lighting, a ceiling fan and a smoke alarm installed on the ceiling away from the fan.
By law every bedroom in a BnB must have smoke alarms installed inside the room.

Smoke alarms provide vital early warning and can allow extra time for guests or staff to escape if there is a fire at your property. Early detection can also lead to a quicker response from emergency services, which could save lives, and your property.

  • You are legally required to have working smoke alarms inside every bedroom at your BnB.
  • Test your smoke alarms every month to make sure they are working.
  • Clean your smoke alarms yearly with a duster or vacuum cleaner.

Learn more about smoke alarm safety

Electrical safety

  • Don't plug too many high-powered appliances into one powerpoint.
  • Plug appliances that need a lot of power directly into the wall. For example, heaters and toasters.
  • Don't have faulty or damaged electrical equipment in your BnB.

Learn more about electrical fire safety

Heating

  • Make sure your heating is well-maintained and in good working order.
  • If your property has a wood fire, make sure guests know how to use it safely, including putting it out when they go out or go to sleep.
  • Keep furniture and other belongings at least one metre away from heating.
  • Clean chimneys every year.
  • Have your gas heaters serviced every two years.

Learn more about heating safety

Fire safety equipment

A fire blanket hanging on a wall in an apartment near a coffee machine, kettle, and a plant.
Have a fire blanket in the kitchen area so it can be used to put out a stovetop fire.

Smoking

  • If smoking is allowed in or around your property, provide safety ashtrays and bins.
  • Remind guests to fully and safely extinguish all smoking materials.

Learn more about smoking, vaping and shisha fire safety 

BBQs

A person cleaning a BBQ grill with a brush.

  • If you provide a BBQ for guests, make sure it is a purpose-built gas (LPG or natural gas) or electric BBQ. These can be used all year round, including on Total Fire Ban Days, under certain conditions.
  • Ensure you clean the BBQ between guests to prevent build up of fat that can cause a fire.

Learn more about BBQ, smoker and pizza oven safety

Fire pits

A fire pit on a raised brick platform on a wooden deck at sunset, surrounded by chairs and some drinks.
Fire pits must not be used on a Total Fire Ban day.

Learn more about fire pit and chimenea safety.

Fire safety information

  • Have an evacuation diagram printed out and displayed in the house in case there is a fire.
  • Consider making a fire safety tip sheet for your guests based on CFA’s home fire safety information.

Topics to cover should include:

Check out our Home Fire Safety checklist for more information.

Bushfire preparation and your Bnb

As a BnB host, you should have a comprehensive bushfire plan, so you know what to tell your guests and/or staff if there is an extreme or catastrophic fire danger rating. Having a plan will also help you meet your responsibilities as a short-stay accommodation provider, and think more clearly in an emergency.

Bushfire Planning for Tourism Businesses online learning module

This free online online learning module is designed to help businesses in regional and rural areas, including accommodation providers, plan for bushfire. This program helps you develop a thorough and practical bushfire plan to be ready for the worst case scenario.

Learn more

Fire Danger Ratings

Pictured is a semi-circle rating indicator. The semi-circle is split into four triangle-shaped segments. The first segment, starting from the left going clockwise, is green. The word moderate is in the outer ring of the segment. The second segment going clockwise is yellow. The word high is in the outer ring of the segment. The third segment going clockwise is orange. The word extreme is in the outer ring of the segment. The fourth segment going clockwise is red. The word catastrophic is in the outer ring of the segment. There are also four boxes, with a Fire Danger Rating written in each box. The boxes are the colour of the Fire Danger Rating. Under each box is a sentence telling you what to do if the rating is at that level. The first box says 'Moderate' and is green. Under it are the words: plan and prepare. The second box, to the right says high and is is yellow. Under it are the words: be ready to act. The third box, below the first box says extreme and is orange. Under it are the words: Take action now to protect life and property. The fourth box, to the right of the third box says catastrophic and is red. Under it are the words: For your survival, leave bushfire risk areas.
Fire danger ratings help you decide what actions to take to protect yourself, your guests and any staff.

It's important you understand each Fire Danger Rating and its associated action, so you can decide what to do at each rating level.

Encourage your guests to be aware of the local fire danger ratings during fire season by checking the CFA website.

Cancelling bookings due to fire risk

As a business, you need to decide when you will close your accommodation due the risk of bushfire.

If there is a Catastrophic fire danger rating forecast, you need to decide when you will close or cancel bookings, and how you will communicate this with guests. Consider how you will handle refund requests and your duty of care during that time.

Communicating with guests or staff on site

If there are guests or staff already at the accommodation, it’s important you have a clear trigger for when you will recommend they leave the property, such as an extreme or catastrophic fire danger rating.  Have a clear policy or process for what to do when extreme or catastrophic days are forecast and how you communicate this to staff and guests.

CFA strongly recommends leaving bushfire risk areas early, the night before or early in the morning on bad fire days.

Learn about leaving early and why it's important

VicEmergency App

A person sitting outdoors in a beautiful country scene holding a phone which has a map and emergency icons on it.

Encourage your guests to download the VicEmergency app to stay across any local emergency incidents, including fires.

Last Resort shelter options

Encourage guests to leave early, before there is a fire in the area.

However, in case they get caught out, it’s important to provide clear information to your guests about last resort options for sheltering in the area during a bushfire, including:

Learn more about last resort options

Preparing your property for fire season

 

Page last updated: Friday, 28 August 2026 5:32:54 PM

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