Hanoi landlords rush to install fire safety equipment following new regulations

Over the past week, Nguyen Cong Duy, a landlord in Phu Do Ward of Nam Tu Liem District, has been tirelessly working to meet fire safety requirements. In mid-June, after inspecting his seven-story, 50-square-meter house, which he divides into rentable rooms, authorities mandated a second emergency exit, a fire escape staircase, and fireproof doors to separate the parking area from upper floors. Additionally, fire safety instructions and fire extinguishers must be placed inside elevators and parking areas by July 15.

Duy has been searching for reputable services that charge a reasonable price. “Just the fire escape staircase from the seventh floor to the ground costs me VND20 million (US$780). Altogether, it will be tens of millions, but for safety, I accept the expense,” he said.

Workers install an outdoor emergency staircase for an apartment building in Hanoi’s Nam Tu Liem District, July 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Viet An

At each room’s balcony, Duy has added a second emergency exit connected to a newly installed stainless steel fire escape ladder. His primary concern now is how to manage more than a dozen motorcycles in the basement, and he has instructed tenants not to charge non-standard electric bikes or motorcycles in the basement.

Approximately 8 km away, Le Mai’s family in Bac Tu Liem District is also finalizing fire safety measures for their five-story, 50-square-meter house. Built-in 2021, it already had a second emergency exit and fire extinguishers on each floor, as well as access from the attic to the neighbor’s roof, but it still did not meet the new requirements.

Inspectors have instructed Mai to add a fire safety management file, a fire response plan, a fireproof door separating the first floor from the parking area, automatic fire alarms in each room, emergency exit signs, and lights on each floor all to be completed by July 15. Mai contacted several providers but found many fire safety products lacked certification. Eventually, she chose a certified provider, which took around four days to install the equipment.

“Doing it properly costs us VND70 million, with the most expensive items being the fireproof door, fire alarm system, and fire escape ladder,” she said. “Even with all this, I’m still not fully at ease. Effective fire prevention also depends on tenants’ awareness.”

Duy and Mai are among thousands of Hanoi landlords rushing to install fire safety and rescue equipment in their rental properties. These homes, mostly built before 2022, were not previously subject to stringent fire safety requirements. Hanoi has over 36,970 rental houses, concentrated in districts of Thanh Xuan, Cau Giay, Dong Da, Nam Tu Liem, and Bac Tu Liem, which have many universities, hospitals, and large land areas suitable for rental housing.

Following a tragic fire in a mini apartment in Thanh Xuan District in September 2023 that killed 56 people and another fire in a house providing rooms for rent in Cau Giay District in May this year that killed 14, the city has been conducting a thorough fire safety inspection blitz, focusing on mini apartments and rental homes. This inspection is set to be completed by July 15, with results reported to the city government five days later.

Nationwide, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a directive that from March 30, 2025, mini apartment buildings, mixed-use residential buildings (where owners live and run businesses), and rental homes must implement fire safety measures or face closure.

The order has caused demand for fire safety and rescue equipment installation services to surge.

Over the past half month, Tran Van’s mechanical workshop in Nam Tu Liem District has seen a spike in orders for outdoor fire escape staircases.

He and his team install about five sets weekly, mostly in mini apartment buildings in the district. Previously focused on doors and stairs, the workshop has now shifted to producing fire escape ladders.

These stainless steel ladders are manufactured in the workshop and then installed on-site. Depending on space, they are placed in front or on the side of buildings, costing nearly VND2 million per meter and taking around three hours to install, Van said.

Manh Tan, a handyman who is usually hired to install fire safety equipment for buildings and mini apartments these days, noted a recent increase in orders, especially for fire alarm systems and rope ladders. “Some landlords genuinely want to install safety measures, while others do it just to pass inspections,” he said.

At a press conference on July 8, Lieutenant General Nguyen Hai Trung, Director of the Hanoi Police Department, reported that all rental properties in the city had been inspected by July 4. Of these, 3,134 landlords were fined a total of over VND12.8 billion for fire safety violations, 672 properties were temporarily suspended, and 16,479 others ceased operations.

A fire alarm system is set in a room of a rental house in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Hoa

Among mini apartments, 193 were inspected, with 14 temporarily suspended and four shut down. Common violations included the lack of a second emergency exit, absence of fireproof doors, insufficient fire safety equipment, and inadequate tenant fire safety training. Belongings were often found blocking emergency exits, and electrical systems were deemed substandard.

To address these issues, the Hanoi People’s Council approved a plan in early July to enhance fire safety and rescue capabilities for 2025-2030.

The plan aims for 100% of family homes, mixed-use buildings, and rental properties to have a second emergency exit and fire extinguishers, with at least one household member trained in fire safety and evacuation skills.

By 2030, the city plans to install 3,050 outdoor fire hydrants and provide water supply and hydrants for approximately 9,480 streets, alleys, and neighborhoods located more than 200 meters from the main streets, which fire trucks currently struggle to access. The city also aims to complete 433 water tanks and fire pump stations in public areas.