Fireplace and wood stove in holiday lets: cleaning and safety

A fireplace is a powerful selling point and the only feature in a holiday let that can actually cause a fire. Between the two, there’s a simple cleaning routine, a legal obligation many hosts ignore, and a wood stock to manage. This guide covers wood heating from a cleaning perspective: what needs doing each visit, what’s monthly, and what isn’t your responsibility.

What to do, and when

Ashes: the 48-hour rule

Ashes can stay hot and smouldering for several days under a seemingly cold layer. Tipping a bucket of ashes into a plastic bin is a classic fire starter, and it always happens after the guest leaves, when no one is around.

The procedure, no exceptions:

1. Never empty ashes less than 48 hours old.If the last fire was only yesterday, leave them and note it for the next visit.
2. Use a metal bucket with a lidNever a bag or plastic bucket.
3. Store the bucket outsideOn a non-combustible surface, well away from any wooden wall, for several days before final disposal.
4. Always leave a two to three centimetre bed of ashIn the bottom of the stove: it protects the base and improves combustion. Never empty it completely.

A standard vacuum cleaner is not suitable: fine ash passes through the filter and a live ember will destroy the machine. You need a dedicated ash vacuum, and only ever on cold ashes.

Stove glass: clean with what’s inside

A blackened glass is the first visual sign of a neglected stove, and it cleans up with what’s already in there.

1. Dampen some newspaper or kitchen roll.
2. Dip it in the cold white ashFrom the stove.
3. Rub the glass in small circles.The ash is a gentle abrasive that lifts soot without scratching the glass.
4. Wipe with a clean damp paper, then dry.

No shop-bought product does better, and none is cheaper. Take care not to get ash slurry on the braided door seal: it will soak up the damp ash and lose its seal. Check this seal as you go, it needs replacing every two to three years and is vital for a good draw.

Rapid blackening of the glass is not a cleaning issue but a combustion one: damp wood, poor draw, or a smouldering fire. Fix the cause, not the symptom.

Wood: only one thing matters, moisture

Wood that’s too damp clogs the flue, blackens the glass, burns poorly and produces carbon monoxide. The only thing that counts is the moisture content, below 20%. A moisture meter costs a few tens of pounds and settles any argument with a supplier.

Three clues without a meter: dry wood is lighter than it looks, it rings clearly when you knock two logs together, and it has star-shaped cracks at the ends.

For the property’s stock:

• Outside, under a ventilated shelter, raised off the ground, never fully covered with a tarp, which would trap moisture.
• Inside, only a two or three day supply in the basket by the fire. A big indoor stock brings in insects and damp.
• Top up the basket every clean, with firelighters and matches. A guest arriving on a winter’s night to an empty basket won’t light a fire, and you’ll lose the very feature that made them book.

For pellets, storage is even more sensitive: they swell and break down at the slightest hint of damp. Keep the bag sealed, on a pallet or shelf, never directly on a concrete floor.

Chimney sweeping: a requirement, not a choice

Chimney sweeping is compulsory, the occupant’s responsibility, with one or two visits a year depending on local regulations and appliance type. The professional provides a sweeping certificate, which your insurer will demand if there’s ever a claim. Without it, cover may be refused.

In holiday lets, it’s up to the owner to arrange and keep these certificates: a guest will never organise a sweep. The current rules are available on Service-Public.fr.

Two other devices complete the setup, and both are inexpensive: a carbon monoxide detector in the room with the fire, and the mandatory smoke alarm, whose batteries should be checked like everything else, as detailed in Wifi, hot water, batteries: pre-arrival checks that matter.

What to write in the welcome book

A guest lighting a fire for the first time is a real risk. Three lines are enough: open the air vent before lighting, never burn treated wood, cardboard or glossy paper, and don’t fully close the air supply to make the fire last, as this clogs the flue and produces carbon monoxide.