---
title: "HMO Fire Alarms Cathays, Cardiff | BS 5839-6 Grade A | AS Fire Services"
description: "Grade A LD2 HMO fire alarm installation, servicing and certification for Cathays CF24 student houses. BS 5839-6 systems certified for Cardiff Council licensing."
lang: en
json-ld: |
  [
    {
      "@context": "https://schema.org",
      "@type": "Organization",
      "@id": "https://asfire.co.uk/#organization",
      "name": "AS Fire Services Ltd",
      "alternateName": "AS Fire",
      "url": "https://asfire.co.uk",
      "logo": "https://asfire.co.uk/favicon.png",
      "image": "https://asfire.co.uk/favicon.png",
      "telephone": "+447360538643",
      "email": "asmith@asfire.co.uk",
      "contactPoint": [
        {
          "@type": "ContactPoint",
          "telephone": "+447360538643",
          "contactType": "customer service",
          "areaServed": "GB",
          "availableLanguage": "en"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ContactPoint",
          "telephone": "+441443572076",
          "contactType": "customer service",
          "areaServed": "GB",
          "availableLanguage": "en"
        }
      ],
      "address": {
        "@type": "PostalAddress",
        "streetAddress": "Unit 37, Bowen Industrial Estate, Pengam",
        "addressLocality": "Aberbargoed, Bargoed",
        "postalCode": "CF81 9EP",
        "addressCountry": "GB"
      },
      "areaServed": [
        "Cardiff",
        "Newport",
        "Swansea",
        "Bristol",
        "Pontypridd",
        "Merthyr Tydfil",
        "Bridgend",
        "Gloucester",
        "Cwmbran"
      ],
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.linkedin.com/company/as-fire-services-ltd/",
        "https://www.instagram.com/as_fire_services/",
        "https://www.facebook.com/ASFireServices"
      ]
    },
    {
      "@context": "https://schema.org",
      "@type": "WebSite",
      "@id": "https://asfire.co.uk/#website",
      "name": "AS Fire Services Ltd",
      "url": "https://asfire.co.uk",
      "publisher": {
        "@id": "https://asfire.co.uk/#organization"
      },
      "inLanguage": "en-GB"
    },
    {
      "@context": "https://schema.org",
      "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
      "itemListElement": [
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 1,
          "name": "Service Areas",
          "item": "https://asfire.co.uk/service-areas"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 2,
          "name": "Cardiff",
          "item": "https://asfire.co.uk/service-areas/cardiff"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 3,
          "name": "HMO Fire Alarms, Cathays",
          "item": "https://asfire.co.uk/service-areas/cardiff/cathays-hmo-fire-alarms"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@context": "https://schema.org",
      "@type": "Service",
      "name": "HMO Fire Alarms in Cathays, Cardiff",
      "description": "Grade A LD2 HMO fire alarm installation, servicing and certification for Cathays CF24 student houses. BS 5839-6 systems certified for Cardiff Council licensing.",
      "serviceType": "HMO Fire Alarms",
      "url": "https://asfire.co.uk/service-areas/cardiff/cathays-hmo-fire-alarms",
      "areaServed": {
        "@type": "Place",
        "name": "Cathays, Cardiff",
        "address": {
          "@type": "PostalAddress",
          "postalCode": "CF24",
          "addressLocality": "Cardiff",
          "addressCountry": "GB"
        }
      },
      "provider": {
        "@type": "LocalBusiness",
        "@id": "https://asfire.co.uk/#organization",
        "name": "AS Fire Services Ltd",
        "telephone": "+447360538643",
        "email": "asmith@asfire.co.uk",
        "address": {
          "@type": "PostalAddress",
          "streetAddress": "Unit 37, Bowen Industrial Estate, Pengam",
          "addressLocality": "Aberbargoed, Bargoed",
          "postalCode": "CF81 9EP",
          "addressCountry": "GB"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "@context": "https://schema.org",
      "@type": "FAQPage",
      "mainEntity": [
        {
          "@type": "Question",
          "name": "Do I need a fire alarm certificate for a Cathays HMO licence?",
          "acceptedAnswer": {
            "@type": "Answer",
            "text": "Yes. Cardiff Council expects a BS 5839-6 commissioning certificate for the installed system plus evidence of periodic servicing. We issue design, installation and commissioning certificates on handover, and a servicing record thereafter."
          }
        },
        {
          "@type": "Question",
          "name": "How often should a Cathays HMO fire alarm be serviced?",
          "acceptedAnswer": {
            "@type": "Answer",
            "text": "BS 5839-6 recommends servicing by a competent person at least annually for Grade A systems in HMOs, with many landlords and insurers opting for six-monthly. Tenants or the landlord should also test manually each week."
          }
        },
        {
          "@type": "Question",
          "name": "Can you work while students are living in the property?",
          "acceptedAnswer": {
            "@type": "Answer",
            "text": "Yes. We install room by room and keep working detection in every sleeping area overnight. Most Cathays houses are done in one to two days with tenants in occupation."
          }
        },
        {
          "@type": "Question",
          "name": "Do you cover the rest of CF24?",
          "acceptedAnswer": {
            "@type": "Answer",
            "text": "Yes. We work daily across Cathays, Roath, Adamsdown and Plasnewydd, and across the wider Cardiff CF postcode area."
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
---

[asmith@asfire.co.uk](mailto:asmith@asfire.co.uk)South Wales 

Open 24/7 [07360 538643](tel:07360538643)[01443 572076](tel:01443572076)

[![AS Fire Services Ltd](/assets/logo-f-VmegNh.png)](/)

Services

Service Areas

[About](/about-us)[Our Work](/our-work)[Reviews](/reviews)[Resources](/resources)[Specials](/specials)[Contact](/contact-us)

[Request Estimate](/contact-us)

1.  [Home ](/)
2.  [Cardiff](/service-areas/cardiff)
3.  HMO Fire Alarms, Cathays 

Cathays, Cardiff · CF24 

# HMO Fire Alarms in Cathays, Cardiff

Grade A LD2 systems designed, installed and certificated for Cathays student HMOs, with the BS 5839-6 paperwork Cardiff Council licensing officers accept first time.

[Request an Estimate](/contact-us) [07360 538643](tel:07360538643)

## HMO Fire Alarms in Cathays: the short answer

Most licensable HMOs in Cathays require a Grade A LD2 fire alarm system under BS 5839-6, with a control panel, mains-wired detection in every escape route and sleeping room, and heat detection in kitchens. AS Fire Services installs, commissions and certificates these systems for Cardiff Council HMO licence applications.

## What grade of fire alarm does a Cathays HMO need?

Cathays is dominated by three-storey Victorian and Edwardian terraces converted into five and six bedroom student lets. At three storeys or with five or more occupants forming two or more households, BS 5839-6 pushes the recommendation to Grade A LD2: a panel-based system with automatic detection in escape routes, in every room opening onto an escape route, and in higher-risk rooms such as kitchens and lounges. Two-storey four-bed conversions can often sit at Grade D LD2 with interlinked mains detectors, but Cardiff Council licensing conditions frequently specify Grade A regardless, so we confirm the grade against your licence schedule at survey rather than guessing.

## How do you install a fire alarm in a Cathays terrace without damaging it?

Lath-and-plaster ceilings and solid party walls make chased cabling impractical in most Cathays houses. We run white LSF fire-rated cable surface-clipped along picture-rail lines and door heads, drop into detector bases from above where the loft allows, and keep the panel in the hallway near the front door for brigade access. The finish passes both a BS 5839 commissioning inspection and a letting-agent walkthrough. Occupied houses are worked room by room so no bedroom loses detection overnight.

## How quickly can you certify a Cathays HMO before a licensing inspection?

Most Cathays enquiries arrive two to six weeks before a Cardiff Council inspection or a September tenancy start. A five or six bedroom Grade A install typically takes one to two days on site, with the BS 5839-6 design, installation and commissioning certificates issued on completion. We work the summer changeover window heavily, so booking before the end of June gives you the widest choice of dates. Tell us the inspection date at enquiry and we will confirm in writing whether we can meet it.

## Why do Cathays student houses get so many false alarms?

Kitchen doors propped open, vaping in bedrooms and ageing ionisation heads sited too close to cooking are the three causes we see most in CF24. Repeated activations train tenants to ignore the alarm, which is a genuine safety risk as well as a nuisance call-out cost. We re-site or re-zone detection, replace ionisation heads with multi-criteria optical devices, and put fixed-temperature heat detectors in kitchens. Landlords typically see activations fall sharply after that work.

Standards we work to 

## Which standards apply to a Cathays property?

-   **BS 5839-1 and BS 5839-6**, fire detection and alarm systems for commercial buildings and for domestic premises including HMOs. Published by [BSI](https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/). 
-   **The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005**, which places duties on the responsible person for non-domestic premises and common parts. Read the order on [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/contents/made). 
-   **HMO licensing requirements**, set locally by the council. Check the national overview on [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence). 
-   **BS 5266** for emergency lighting and **BS 7671** for the fixed electrical installation, both commonly required alongside the alarm at licensing. 

### Covering Cathays from Bargoed

Cardiff is 25 minutes from our Bargoed HQ via the A470. Our engineers run a planned route across Cardiff and the surrounding postcodes, with 24/7 cover for faults and unwanted activations.

[Request an Estimate](/contact-us)

### Related pages

-   [HMO Fire Alarms across South Wales](/services/hmo-fire-alarms)
-   [Fire alarm engineers in Cardiff](/service-areas/cardiff)
-   [All fire safety services](/services)

FAQs 

## HMO Fire Alarms in Cathays: common questions

Do I need a fire alarm certificate for a Cathays HMO licence?

Yes. Cardiff Council expects a BS 5839-6 commissioning certificate for the installed system plus evidence of periodic servicing. We issue design, installation and commissioning certificates on handover, and a servicing record thereafter.

How often should a Cathays HMO fire alarm be serviced?

BS 5839-6 recommends servicing by a competent person at least annually for Grade A systems in HMOs, with many landlords and insurers opting for six-monthly. Tenants or the landlord should also test manually each week.

Can you work while students are living in the property?

Yes. We install room by room and keep working detection in every sleeping area overnight. Most Cathays houses are done in one to two days with tenants in occupation.

Do you cover the rest of CF24?

Yes. We work daily across Cathays, Roath, Adamsdown and Plasnewydd, and across the wider Cardiff CF postcode area.

## Nearby neighbourhoods we cover

[

HMO Fire Alarms in Roath

Cardiff · CF24, CF23

](/service-areas/cardiff/roath-hmo-fire-alarms)[

Fire Alarm Installation in Canton

Cardiff · CF5, CF11

](/service-areas/cardiff/canton-fire-alarm-installation)[

Fire Alarm Servicing in Cardiff Bay

Cardiff · CF10, CF11

](/service-areas/cardiff/cardiff-bay-fire-alarm-servicing)

## HMO Fire Alarms in Cathays, surveyed, installed and certified.

Site survey arranged to suit the property. Written quote the same day.

[Request an Estimate](/contact-us) [07360 538643](tel:07360538643)

![AS Fire Services Ltd](/assets/logo-f-VmegNh.png)

BS 5839 compliant fire alarm installation, servicing and certification across South Wales and the West. Trusted by HMO landlords, developers and letting agents.

-   Unit 37, Bowen Industrial Estate, Pengam, Aberbargoed, Bargoed CF81 9EP 
-   [07360 538643](tel:07360538643)
-   [01443 572076](tel:01443572076)
-   [asmith@asfire.co.uk](mailto:asmith@asfire.co.uk)
-   24 hours, Monday – Sunday 

[](https://www.linkedin.com/company/as-fire-services-ltd/)[](https://www.instagram.com/as_fire_services/)[](https://www.facebook.com/ASFireServices)

## Services

-   [Fire Alarm Installation](/services/fire-alarm-installation)
-   [Fire Alarm Servicing](/services/fire-alarm-servicing)
-   [Fire Alarm Maintenance](/services/fire-alarm-maintenance)
-   [HMO Fire Alarms](/services/hmo-fire-alarms)
-   [Emergency Lighting](/services/emergency-lighting)
-   [PAT Testing](/services/pat-testing)
-   [EICR](/services/eicr)
-   [Fire Risk Assessments](/services/fire-risk-assessments)
-   [Fire Extinguishers](/services/fire-extinguishers)
-   [All fire safety services →](/services)

## Service Areas

-   [Fire alarm engineers in Cardiff](/service-areas/cardiff)
-   [Fire alarm engineers in Swansea](/service-areas/swansea)
-   [Fire alarm engineers in Newport](/service-areas/newport)
-   [Fire alarm engineers in Bristol](/service-areas/bristol)
-   [Fire alarm engineers in Pontypridd](/service-areas/pontypridd)
-   [Fire alarm engineers in Merthyr](/service-areas/merthyr)
-   [Fire alarm engineers in Bridgend](/service-areas/bridgend)
-   [Fire alarm engineers in Gloucester](/service-areas/gloucester)
-   [Fire alarm engineers in Cwmbran](/service-areas/cwmbran)
-   [All service areas →](/service-areas)

## Company

-   [About AS Fire Services](/about-us)
-   [Our Work](/our-work)
-   [Customer Reviews](/reviews)
-   [Accreditations & Standards](/accreditations)
-   [Fire Safety Resources](/resources)
-   [Fire Safety FAQs](/faq)
-   [Free HMO Compliance Audit](/specials)
-   [Contact Us](/contact-us)
-   [Privacy Policy](/privacy-policy)
-   [Cookie Policy](/cookie-policy)
-   [Terms & Conditions](/terms-conditions)

© 2026 AS Fire Services Ltd. All rights reserved. Company No. 12389530.

Trusted for [fire alarm installation](/services/fire-alarm-installation), [HMO fire alarms](/services/hmo-fire-alarms) & [emergency lighting](/services/emergency-lighting) across [Cardiff](/service-areas/cardiff), [Newport](/service-areas/newport), [Swansea](/service-areas/swansea) & [Bristol](/service-areas/bristol).

[Call](tel:07360538643) [Estimate](/contact-us)

We use essential cookies to run this site and optional analytics cookies to improve it. See our [Cookie Policy](/cookie-policy).

Reject optionalAccept all