Hotels and motels have a fire safety problem most buildings do not: the people sleeping inside have never been there before. They do not know where the stairs are, they may have had a drink at the bar downstairs, and at 3 a.m. they are relying on a night auditor and a sign on the back of the door. That is why the BC Fire Code has specific rules for guest rooms, and why fire departments treat hotels as high-risk buildings. Short-term rentals raise their own questions. Here is how fire safety plans work for both.

Hotels and motels: is a plan required?

In almost every case, yes. Section 2.8 of the BC Fire Code requires a fire safety plan for every building that the BC Building Code requires to have a fire alarm system, which covers most hotels and many motels. A hotel can also need a plan because it contains:

• a licensed restaurant or licensed beverage establishment
• an assembly space, such as a banquet hall or conference room, with an occupant load of more than 30
• a treatment area in a spa or clinic offering business and personal services
• storage of flammable or combustible liquids

A small motel without a code-required alarm system may still need a plan because of one of these uses.

Why hotels get extra attention

Under the Fire Safety Act, in force since August 1, 2024, municipalities must run risk-based compliance monitoring for public buildings, with higher-risk buildings inspected more often. The Office of the Fire Commissioner lists hotels among its examples of high-risk public buildings, alongside bars and apartments. Expect a fire inspector to know your property.

What a hotel fire safety plan must cover

Every BC plan must address the emergency procedures, supervisory staff, training, fire emergency system diagrams, fire drills, hazard control and maintenance. In a hotel, those general requirements translate into some very specific content.

Procedures for a 24-hour operation

The plan has to work at 3 a.m. with a skeleton crew, not just at noon with a full front desk. It should state who sounds the alarm, who calls the fire department, who meets the first fire crew, and what the night auditor does if they are alone. Supervisory staff must be trained in the plan’s procedures before they are given fire safety duties, which matters in an industry with high staff turnover and seasonal hiring.

Guests who need help to evacuate

The code requires the emergency procedures to include special provisions for persons requiring assistance. The code’s explanatory notes go further for hotels and motels, suggesting staff should know which rooms are occupied by people who need help during evacuation and should pass that information to the responding fire department. A practical plan includes a way for the front desk to flag those rooms at check-in and print the list during an alarm.

Posting in every guest room

Article 2.8.2.14 requires that in every hotel and motel bedroom the fire safety rules for occupants be posted, showing the location of exits and the paths of travel to the exits. That is the floor diagram on the back of the door. It has to match the room’s actual location and the real exit routes, so it should be prepared from accurate floor plans. At least one copy of the fire emergency procedures must also be posted on each floor area.

Elevators and high-rise systems

BC requires a permanent sign at every elevator entrance on each floor indicating that the elevator is not to be used in case of fire. Hotels within the high building requirements of the BC Building Code also need plan content on voice communication, elevator use, smoke control and fire department access, and must drill supervisory staff at intervals not greater than two months. Other hotels must drill supervisory staff at least every 12 months.

Kitchens, bars and banquet halls

Commercial kitchens bring cooking equipment and suppression systems. Bars and banquet halls bring large crowds who do not know the building. See our article on fire safety plans for restaurants for the kitchen side.

Smoke alarms in sleeping rooms

Separate from the plan, the BC Fire Code requires smoke alarms in each dwelling unit and in each sleeping room not within a dwelling unit, with exceptions where the building has a residential fire warning system or, in some care and treatment buildings, a fire alarm system. Hotel and motel guest rooms fall into that sleeping room category. Your fire alarm contractor can confirm what your building needs.

Short-term rentals: where do they fit?

Short-term rentals are the grey zone. The Office of the Fire Commissioner’s guidance says short-term rentals such as Airbnb units are generally treated as private dwellings under the Fire Safety Act, so they are not part of a municipality’s proactive inspection program. They are not exempt, though. An inspector can still inspect, for example in response to a complaint or a hazard, with the occupier’s consent or a warrant.

What that means in practice:

• A suite in an apartment or strata building is covered by the building’s fire safety plan. Guests are occupants like anyone else, and the building’s posted fire emergency procedures apply to them. A strata council with many short-term rentals should make sure the plan’s instructions to occupants are clear to someone who has never been in the building.
• A bed and breakfast or a house with several rented rooms may be inspectable where the public is ordinarily invited in. The Office of the Fire Commissioner advises local authorities to take legal advice on these cases, so ask your local fire department how it treats your property.
• A whole-house rental generally does not need a BC Fire Code fire safety plan, but working smoke alarms, a clear escape route and a posted emergency information sheet are simple steps every host should take.

Municipal bylaws and business licensing for short-term rentals can add their own fire safety conditions. Those vary by city, so check with yours.

Common hotel findings

• Back-of-door diagrams that do not match the room or show the wrong exit
• Night staff who have never been trained on the fire alarm panel
• Fire doors on guest corridors propped open by housekeeping
• Banquet rooms set up beyond their permitted occupant load
• Storage in stairwells and linen rooms

Frequently asked questions

How often should a hotel hold fire drills?

At least every 12 months for supervisory staff, and every two months in hotels within the BC Building Code’s high building requirements. With staff turnover, many hotels drill more often and cover each shift.

Do the room diagrams need to be approved by the fire department?

The diagrams are part of posting the fire safety rules required by the code, and they should be consistent with the accepted fire safety plan. We prepare them from the same CAD floor plans as the plan itself.

Does my Airbnb host account need a fire safety plan?

Not as a separate BC Fire Code plan in most cases. If your unit is in a building with a fire safety plan, that plan covers it. Check any short-term rental licence conditions in your municipality.

Plans that work at 3 a.m.

GetFirePlan Fire Safety Inc. has prepared more than 1,000 fire safety plans in BC since 2003, including hotels, motels and mixed-use buildings in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Richmond and Surrey. We draw the plans, prepare the room diagrams and write procedures a night auditor can follow. Pricing is upfront and approval is guaranteed. Request a quote through our contact page or call (778) 574-2895.