lodgers and cooking on the landing

ButterCheese

I don't think they have been that unreasonable to be honest.  If you put a kettle and toaster there, you've pretty much presented it as a food prep area.  I know you have done this in good faith to help them out, but it has set the trend for more unsafe appliances to be added.  What you leave or take away is up to you.  If you regard this as a safety issue then I'd say the kettle, toaster, microwave and air fryer can stay.  But insist that the hob is removed.  You can't knock a hot pan off the others, but you can off a hob.  And you will have to ensure that the air fryer in particular is cleaned regularly, as they can catch fire if not 

monkey-fingers

Kettle, yes, Microwave, yes. Toaster, no. Airfryer, maybe. Hob, no.

I'm not saying it's not happened, but I can't imagine a microwave causing a fire any more than an electric bike.

Toasters, on the other hand, are known to cause house fires (particularly with crumb build-up).
If you leave a piece of paper on or near a hob, it's likely to catch fire (and that could include cardboard or wrappers).

dreamsofpretzels

Kitchens don't belong on landings.

Unprotected stairwell
No extractor hood
Fire extinguisher / fire blanket?
Sockets on appropriate circuit and breaker?

Local authority wouldn't be best pleased to see this setup. 
If a lodger injured themselves or a fire broke out, you would be a serious trouble. 

Get rid of the whole setup. 

dreamsofpretzels

Another scenario, lodger slips on some spilt oil and falls down the stairs. 

sheramber

you could request a visit from a fire officer  to assess it for safety.

if he says no you are covered.
It is bo as if they do not have an alternative.

travelodger

Thanks, everyone.

I'm really glad I posted this thread now because it has given me a lot to think about. 

Lots of different opinions have been posted in reply, which is great.

DreamsofPretzels. I'm not going to get rid of the whole set up. There is nothing wrong with having cupboards, a fridge and a sink with mains water. It would be cruel to make lodgers descend two storeys just to get a drink of tap water or make a cup of tea!

The local authority have no jurisdiction over a private home with lodgers and have no legal right to enter my home. We have a fire extinguisher on the wall (and on every storey) but I doubt any lodger knows how to use one. The spilled oil is a very good point, so the hob and the air fryer are being removed today. 

Monkey, I never thought about toasters catching fire. I doubt any of the lodgers ever empty or clean it. So I will get rid of that, too.  

So from today there will be only a fridge, kettle and microwave.

Thanks again, everyone!

Flo87

That kitchenette setup can mean an extra Council tax bill 

monkey-fingers

Flo87 said:

That kitchenette setup can mean an extra Council tax bill 

Only in an annexe. It has to be independent, which this isn't.

Grumpy_chap

travelodger said:

Thanks, everyone.

I'm really glad I posted this thread now because it has given me a lot to think about. 

Lots of different opinions have been posted in reply, which is great.

DreamsofPretzels. I'm not going to get rid of the whole set up. There is nothing wrong with having cupboards, a fridge and a sink with mains water. It would be cruel to make lodgers descend two storeys just to get a drink of tap water or make a cup of tea!

The local authority have no jurisdiction over a private home with lodgers and have no legal right to enter my home. We have a fire extinguisher on the wall (and on every storey) but I doubt any lodger knows how to use one. The spilled oil is a very good point, so the hob and the air fryer are being removed today. 

Monkey, I never thought about toasters catching fire. I doubt any of the lodgers ever empty or clean it. So I will get rid of that, too.  

So from today there will be only a fridge, kettle and microwave.

Thanks again, everyone!

Could you compromise and exchange the microwave for a combination microwave with grill?

That would make everything look neater and more contained but still allow normal cooking (like an air fryer) or grilling toast so mitigate the loss of the separate appliances.

As well as saying it is safer and neater for there to be less clutter, you could also say that the electric circuits are not properly rated for everything at once.

Could you tolerate the hob if it was at the other end of the array so no risk of spills / dropping down the stairwell?

Albermarle

monkey-fingers said:

Kettle, yes, Microwave, yes. Toaster, no. Airfryer, maybe. Hob, no.

I'm not saying it's not happened, but I can't imagine a microwave causing a fire any more than an electric bike.

Toasters, on the other hand, are known to cause house fires (particularly with crumb build-up).
If you leave a piece of paper on or near a hob, it's likely to catch fire (and that could include cardboard or wrappers).

I was going to say something similar and it seems now the OP is in agreement.