By Tony Booth

As an owner-occupier, there are some fire safety regulations you need to comply with - even though the subject itself may be one we should all think about rather more than many of us do.

However, as a landlord, you have a duty of care to take reasonable steps to protect your tenants and their guests ... and there are more rules and regulations on more owners than many might be aware of.

Failing to comply with them is a criminal offence, punishable by fines of £5,000 per offence - but potentially and in the worst-case scenario, a landlord could also be charged with manslaughter and sent to jail. Here's what you need to know to protect your property, your tenants ... and yourself.

Until the new fire-safety guidance was announced, landlords were understandably sometimes confused by the regulations affecting them and their properties, because it was presented in a somewhat ad-hoc manner.