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Lithium-Ion Battery Fires: The Growing Risk in Rented Homes

E-bikes and e-scooters have become a normal part of life. Many tenants rely on them to get to work, and delivery riders depend on them for their income. But the lithium-ion batteries that power them have become one of the fastest-growing fire risks in UK homes. If you’re a landlord, this is a risk you need to manage now, not after an incident.

The numbers are rising fast

Fire brigade figures obtained by the Press Association show that at least 432 e-bike fires were recorded across the UK in 2025, a rise of 38% on the year before and more than five times the number in 2021. E-scooter fires rose by 20% to 147. And those figures only cover the 37 of 49 fire brigades that responded.

In London alone, firefighters dealt with 206 e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2025, the highest total on record. That works out at roughly one every other day.

The most striking fact for landlords is this: each of the five people who died in these fires in London did not own the e-bike involved. They were flatmates, family members and neighbours. In shared houses and blocks of flats, one tenant’s battery puts everyone in the building at risk.

Why lithium-ion battery fires are so dangerous

As a serving fire officer, I can tell you these fires behave very differently from most household fires.

• They develop extremely quickly. A failing battery can go into “thermal runaway”, where cells heat up uncontrollably and set off the cells next to them. A room can become unsurvivable within minutes.
• They can be explosive. Batteries often vent jets of flame and produce large volumes of toxic, flammable gas.
• They’re hard to put out. Batteries can reignite hours after they appear to be extinguished.
• They often block escape routes. Tenants tend to store and charge e-bikes in hallways and by front doors, which is exactly where the fire then cuts off the way out. In one London case, a fire in a first-floor flat blocked the main escape route and three people had to jump from a window.

What causes them?

The London Fire Brigade says many of these fires come from faulty or poorly made products, often bought online or second-hand. The most common culprits are:

• Cheap batteries and chargers that don’t meet UK safety standards
• DIY conversion kits that turn ordinary bikes into e-bikes
• Using the wrong charger for the battery
• Batteries that have been dropped, damaged or modified
• Charging overnight or while nobody is at home
• Charging on beds, sofas or near flammable materials

What does the law say?

There isn’t yet a specific law that bans e-bikes in rented homes or sets out exactly what landlords must do about them. However, your existing duties still apply:

• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: If you’re responsible for the common parts of an HMO or block of flats, you must carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. E-bike storage and charging in corridors, stairwells and bin or bike stores should be part of it.
• Housing Act 2004 (HHSRS): Fire is one of the 29 hazards local authorities can assess and take action on.
• Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022: Private landlords in England must have at least one working smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation.
• Your insurance: Check that your policy covers battery fires, and whether your insurer expects any specific controls.

The legislation is also tightening. The Product Regulation and Metrology Act gives the government powers to set stricter standards for batteries, chargers and conversion kits, and the London Fire Brigade is pushing for the detailed rules to be introduced as quickly as possible. Some social landlords have already adopted their own e-bike policies. Cheltenham Borough Council, for example, now includes e-bike storage and charging checks in its fire risk assessments.

Practical steps for landlords

You don’t need to ban e-bikes, and in many cases that wouldn’t be reasonable or practical. What you need is a sensible, documented approach.

1. Find out what’s in your properties. Ask tenants whether they own an e-bike, e-scooter or mobility scooter, and check during routine inspections.
2. Keep escape routes clear. Make it a clear rule that e-bikes and scooters must not be stored or charged in hallways, stairwells or by exit doors.
3. Set house rules in writing. Add guidance to your tenancy agreement or welcome pack, covering approved chargers, no DIY conversions, and no charging overnight or while out.
4. Encourage safe buying. Advise tenants to buy from reputable sellers and to use only the manufacturer’s charger.
5. Check your detection. Make sure smoke alarms are working and properly placed, and consider interlinked alarms in HMOs and larger properties.
6. Consider safe storage. For blocks and HMOs, a secure, well-ventilated external store away from the building is the best option where space allows.
7. Review your fire risk assessment. If your assessment pre-dates the rise in e-bikes, it is likely out of date. Lithium-ion batteries should now be specifically considered.
8. Talk to your insurer. Confirm you’re covered and record what controls you have in place.

Tenant advice you can share

Give tenants a simple checklist:

• Only buy batteries and chargers from a reputable seller
• Use the charger that came with the battery
• Never charge on a bed, sofa or near an exit
• Unplug once fully charged and don’t charge while asleep or out
• Stop using a battery that is hot, swollen, leaking or making noises
• If a battery catches fire, get out, stay out, and call 999

How Whale Fire can help

At Whale Fire, we carry out fire risk assessments for landlords, managing agents and HMO owners, with specific attention to lithium-ion battery risks. We’ll review your storage, charging arrangements, escape routes and detection, and give you clear, practical actions to protect your tenants and your property.

Get in touch today to book your fire risk assessment and extinguish the risk before it becomes an emergency.

The legal section stays general on purpose. Check that it matches what you advise clients, especially if you cover Wales or Scotland, where the alarm rules differ. The figures could also be pulled into a short client email for your landlord guide.  Contact Us - Whale Fire

Sources:

• London Fire Brigade – Record number of e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2025
• FIA – Record rise in e-bike and e-scooter fires across London
• Fire Safety Matters – LFB calls for urgent e-bike legislation
• Press Association via Rayo – Fires reach record high
• UK e-bike and e-scooter fires record highs (PA figures)
• Cheltenham Borough Council – E-Bike and Battery Safety Policy