When I was setting up my B&B, I imagined choosing paint colours, perfecting my scone recipe, and working out which local butcher sold the best sausages — not trying to figure out how to write a B&B risk assessment.

Like many new bed and breakfast owners, I found the idea of doing a risk assessment for a B&B a bit intimidating. I didn’t want to get it wrong, and I wasn’t sure where to start. I remember opening a blank risk assessment template, staring at it for far too long, and then giving up to test another scone recipe instead.

(For the record, my blueberry and lime scones always went down a treat on the breakfast buffet.)

Note: I’m not a legal or health and safety expert, and nothing in this post should be taken as legal, regulatory, or professional advice. After 17 years of running my own B&B, I simply want to share my experience of tackling risk assessments and point you towards the official guidance from the HSE so you can complete your own safely and confidently.

What is a B&B Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is simply a structured way to identify potential hazards in your business, decide how likely they are to cause harm, and record what you’re doing to reduce those risks.

It doesn’t have to be full of jargon or long, complicated forms. For most B&Bs, it’s about being practical and methodical. You’re already doing much of it in your head every day — checking that the stairs are well lit, keeping cleaning products out of guest areas, and making sure appliances are in good condition.

Writing it down just formalises what you’re already doing and shows that you’ve thought about safety seriously.

Getting your risk assessment perfect and completing every possible action to eliminate risk first time isn’t the goal — done is better than perfect. What matters most is taking that first step and recording what you’re already doing to keep people safe. The aim is to show that you’ve done everything reasonably practicable to prevent harm to your guests, anyone who works for you, and yourself. You can always come back to review and improve it later, and each time you do, it’ll feel a little easier.

This guidance is lifted directly from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE):

You're not expected to eliminate all risks, but you need to do everything 'reasonably practicable' to protect people from harm. This means balancing the level of risk against the measures needed to control the real risk in terms of money, time or trouble.

Why Risk Assessments Matter for Bed and Breakfast Owners

Running a B&B means welcoming paying guests into your home, which automatically changes your legal responsibilities. If something goes wrong — even something minor — you need to show that you’ve taken reasonable steps to manage the risks.

• Since 1 October 2023, every B&B is legally required to complete and keep a written Fire Risk Assessment, regardless of size or number of staff. Before this date, only businesses with five or more employees had to record their fire risk assessment in writing.
  
  For small paying guest accommodation, see Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire.
  The general guide for sleeping accommodation: Fire safety risk assessment: sleeping accommodation.
• If you employ five or more people, you’re also legally required to keep written records of all your other risk assessments.
• Even if you run a small B&B on your own, I would still strongly recommend you keep written copies. It’s a useful reminder and demonstrates to insurers and inspectors that you take safety seriously.

Types of Risk Assessments Every B&B Needs

There are four main areas that most B&B owners should consider:

• General B&B Risk Assessment – covers day-to-day hazards like slips, trips, electrical safety, and food hygiene.
• Fire Risk Assessment – looks at escape routes, alarms, fire doors, extinguishers, and how you’d warn and evacuate guests.
• Legionella Risk Assessment – focuses on the safety of your water system and how to reduce the risk of Legionnaires’ disease.
• COSHH Assessment – identifies and manages any hazardous substances, such as cleaning products or maintenance chemicals.

How to Carry Out a B&B Risk Assessment (Example)

It’s not enough to just list the risks — you also need to record how you went about carrying out the assessment. This helps anyone reviewing your documents understand the process you followed and shows that your assessment is based on real checks and observations.

Here’s an example of how a typical B&B risk assessment might be carried out, based on guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE):

Reference: Guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk

Walk-through: The owner walked around the property, checking all areas used by guests or staff, including:

• Guest bedrooms and bathrooms
• Dining room and lounge
• Kitchen and laundry
• Garden, parking area, and outdoor paths

Consultation: Spoke with staff or helpers to gather their knowledge and any concerns.

Records checked: Reviewed the accident book and guest feedback to identify past incidents or near misses.

Controls noted: Wrote down what was already being done to manage risks — such as cleaning routines, staff training, equipment servicing, and safety signage.

Further actions: Listed any additional measures needed, with deadlines and who would be responsible for completing them.

Review plan: The risk assessment will be reviewed:

• At least once a year
• After any accidents, near misses, or guest complaints
• Whenever there are significant changes, such as building work, new equipment, new staff, or added facilities like a hot tub

Important: This is just an example. You must record how you carried out your own risk assessment, reflecting your specific B&B and circumstances. 

What the Law Requires

Every business, regardless of size, must carry out a health and safety risk assessment.

• If you employ five or more people, you must record it in writing.
• If you have fewer than five employees, you don’t have to write it down — but it’s strongly recommended.
• Keeping written records makes it easier to review, track actions, and show evidence if asked by an inspector, local council, or insurer.

A separate assessment is needed for each area — such as fire safety, food hygiene, COSHH, and Legionella — not just a single “catch-all” document.

How to Complete Your B&B Risk Assessment Without Feeling Overwhelmed

When I first tackled risk assessments in my own B&B, I remember staring at a blank page wondering where to start. It’s easy to get stuck thinking it needs to sound technical or full of legal language.

In reality, it just needs to reflect your business and show that you’ve thought things through.

That’s why I’ve added example templates and completed examples to the Bed and Breakfast Academy online course. If you're already signed up, you’ll find them in Module 3 – Legal Requirements under the Extra Lessons section.

They include a general risk assessment, fire, legionella, and COSHH examples — all editable in Google Sheets and designed to help you see what sort of detail to include.

How to Tailor Your B&B Risk Assessment to Your Own Property

Every B&B is different. Your building, the number of rooms, the way guests access them, and the cleaning products you use — it all affects what goes into your assessment.

So while having a template is a huge help, it’s important to adapt it to your own circumstances. Copying and pasting someone else’s form won’t reflect your business accurately and could leave you exposed if something ever goes wrong.

Think of the templates as a helpful framework to guide you — not a finished product.

My Experience Creating B&B Risk Assessments

⚠️ Disclaimer: I’m not a health and safety or legal expert. The examples and templates in my course are for guidance only — not legal documents. Health and safety laws can change, so always check the latest HSE guidance to make sure your assessments are complete and up to date.

The examples are there to give you a starting point and to take away that sense of “I don’t even know what this should look like.” Once you’ve got a working draft, it’s much easier to go through it, add your own details, and make it right for your B&B.

Having something to edit is a lot less stressful than starting from scratch.

Get Access to Example B&B Risk Assessment Templates

If you’re already enrolled in the Bed and Breakfast Academy online course, you’ll find all the new templates waiting in Module 3.

If you’re still in the planning stage, the course takes you step by step through everything from creating your business plan and designing your rooms to marketing, breakfast service, and health and safety requirements — including these risk assessments.

They’re practical, editable, and written with small B&Bs in mind.

Learn more about the Bed and Breakfast Academy online course →