Managing a larger building — whether it’s a block of flats, a converted office, or an HMO — involves more than regular checks and legal documents. At the heart of it all is how well you communicate with tenants about safety. Clear landlord safety communication reduces risk, helps meet legal standards, and plays a big part in building trust between landlords and tenants.

Our app supports landlords in managing safety documentation, sharing updates, and keeping track of essential responsibilities across properties.

In this guide, we explore how strong safety communication supports legal compliance and tenant wellbeing, especially in larger residential buildings.

Communication and Compliance Go Hand in Hand

For larger rental properties, the safety rules are more involved. There’s more space to manage, more people to look after, and more complexity in what’s required. Meeting your legal obligation includes more than just ticking boxes. It means keeping tenants aware of the safety measures in place and their role in maintaining them.

If tenants don’t know where the escape routes are or don’t understand why fire doors must stay closed, you could be facing a serious risk. The same applies if tenants don’t report problems, or don’t realise that blocked shared areas can delay evacuation in a fire.

Communicating these details will help prevent accidents and also shows that you’re acting in line with your legal requirements as a landlord.

The Legal Framework You Need to Follow

In larger buildings, several laws set the safety standards landlords must meet. These include:

• The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – particularly for buildings over 11 metres or with shared common areas
• The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) – which councils use to assess risks
• The Defective Premises Act 1972 – making landlords responsible for unsafe conditions
• Electrical Safety Standards Regulations – covering checks every five years
• Gas Safety laws – requiring annual inspections

All of these require landlords to maintain safe buildings, but they also mean making sure tenants are kept informed. You must explain what’s in place, how tenants can report faults, and what actions to take during emergencies.

This is especially important in HMOs and high-rise blocks where tenants often share hallways, stairwells, or facilities. If something goes wrong, good communication could prevent harm or even save lives.

Gas Safety and Electrical Safety: What Tenants Need to Know

Landlords must arrange a yearly gas safety check for each property, carried out by a registered Gas Safe engineer. This is a non-negotiable legal requirement, and tenants need to receive a copy of the certificate within 28 days.

The rules for electrical safety are similar. Every five years, a qualified contractor must inspect the system, and again, the report should be shared with tenants.

While the checks are essential, it’s just as important to communicate what they mean. You should let tenants know when inspections are happening, why they matter, and how they’ll be kept updated. Using a platform like MosaicGT allows landlords to manage these reminders and share documents securely with everyone involved.

Making Fire Safety Easy to Understand

When it comes to fire safety regulations, larger properties demand more attention. The law states that:

• Escape routes must be easy to reach and free from clutter
• Fire doors in shared spaces must be checked every 3 months
• Flat entrance fire doors in buildings over 11 metres must be inspected yearly
• Fire instructions should be given to all tenants in writing

In buildings taller than 18 metres, landlords also need to store floor plans in a secure information box on site and share data with the local fire brigade.

These rules are in place for good reason, but tenants must understand them too. It’s not enough to just have the paperwork sorted. You need to make sure the people living in the property know what to do.

You can include these details in a tenancy agreement, welcome pack, or tenant portal. Visual aids — like maps of escape routes or photos of fire doors — help drive the message home. Some landlords also run occasional fire drills or send reminders via email or SMS. Our platform at MosaicGT supports these kinds of updates, helping tenants stay informed with minimal effort from you.

Reporting Maintenance Issues

Many safety problems start small. A loose fire door hinge, a faulty smoke alarm, or a leak near electrical wiring — if not fixed early, they could turn into major hazards.

That’s why it’s vital to give tenants a simple way to report maintenance issues. The easier it is, the more likely they’ll act.

Some landlords use phone or email, but this can get messy if messages are missed or mixed up. A more reliable option is a digital reporting tool where tenants can log problems, attach photos, and receive progress updates.

Shared Spaces, Fire Doors and Escape Routes

In a large building, common areas play a big role in keeping everyone safe. But they can also cause problems if not managed well.

Items left in corridors — like bikes, buggies, or boxes — can block escape routes and delay evacuation. Fire doors must close fully to stop smoke and flames from spreading. If tenants prop them open or don’t report damage, that safety layer disappears.

Landlords should send regular reminders, especially after inspections. Notices in common areas help, but direct messages tend to work best. You can also explain the reasons behind these rules to improve cooperation.

Helping Tenants Who Need Extra Support

Not all tenants can evacuate quickly in an emergency. Those with mobility issues, disabilities, or other medical needs may need a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP).

Landlords are expected to ask about this and, where appropriate, support tenants by planning ahead. These conversations can be sensitive, so it’s important to explain how the information will be used and who it’s shared with.

You can store these plans securely within your management system and ensure they’re available to emergency services if required.

Hidden Dangers: Utility Risks and Tampering

Safety communication isn’t just about alarms and inspections. Sometimes the danger lies in things you can’t see — like energy theft or meter tampering.

These issues are rare, but when they happen, they can lead to gas leaks, electric shocks or fires. It’s worth making tenants aware of the signs and encouraging them to report anything suspicious.

Letting them know that tampering can put neighbours at risk — not just themselves — often helps with early reporting. You don’t need to investigate, but you should act quickly if something’s not right.

Communication Builds Trust

Tenants don’t need long legal explanations. They just need clear, honest updates and a way to speak up if something isn’t right.

When landlords handle safety well and keep people in the loop, it builds stronger relationships. That reduces complaints, makes tenants more likely to report problems, and even improves how long they stay.

You don’t need daily contact. A few well-timed updates, clear instructions, and visible action on safety matters go a long way.

Making It Work with the Right Tools

Trying to stay on top of every deadline, inspection, and safety rule is no easy task, especially when managing larger properties. This is where technology makes a difference.

Landlords who use MosaicGT benefit from:

• Centralised storage of gas safety and electrical safety documents
• Tools to communicate with tenants about checks and repairs
• Built-in reminders for fire safety assessments and door checks
• Maintenance logs with time-stamped updates and responses

All of this helps landlords show that they’re taking their responsibilities seriously and gives tenants more confidence that the building is being managed safely.

Final Thoughts

If you own or manage a larger rental property, your safety responsibilities are wide-ranging. From gas safety checks and fire safety regulations, to keeping escape routes clear and responding to maintenance issues, there’s a lot to manage.

But how you communicate these things matters just as much as having them in place. Good landlord safety communication is what turns systems into protection. It’s how tenants know what to do, how to help, and how to report problems.

At MosaicGT, we give landlords the tools to manage all of this in one place, so that safety becomes easier, not more complicated. When everyone knows what’s happening and why, your buildings stay safer — and your tenants feel more at home.