Guest houses, villas and hotels: getting ready for SLTDA's fire requirements
What SLTDA asks of each type of tourist property, what to check before the fire inspection, and how we can help, from Hikkaduwa to Tangalle.
The short answer: if your guest house, boutique villa, hostel, apartment hotel or hotel is registered with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), you need a Certificate of Fire Protection to register and again every year to renew your licence. Tourist hotels, boutique hotels and boutique villas must also show that at least 75% of their staff are trained in first-aid firefighting.
Who issues the certificate?
Your local authority's fire service, or the UDA. Suppliers don't issue fire certificates, and neither do we. Ask your council (Galle Municipal Council, an Urban Council or your Pradeshiya Sabha) who handles it for your address. We help you get ready for the inspection.
What SLTDA asks for, by property type
| Property type | Certificate of Fire Protection to register | At every yearly renewal | At least 75% of staff trained in first-aid firefighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist hotel | Yes | Yes, a valid certificate | Yes, to register and to renew |
| Boutique hotel or boutique villa | Yes | Yes | Yes, to register and to renew |
| Guest house | Yes | Yes | Not in SLTDA's list |
| Tourist hostel | Yes, from the local authority or the UDA | Yes | Not in SLTDA's list |
| Apartment hotel | Yes | Yes | Ask SLTDA |
| Other categories (bungalow, rented home, homestay) | Ask SLTDA | Ask SLTDA | Ask SLTDA |
From SLTDA's document lists, read in October 2026. We have not checked the lists for these categories. Where the 75% rule doesn't apply, every shift should still have someone who knows which extinguisher to use.
Each list is a PDF on SLTDA's website:
- Tourist Guest House: registration and renewal documents: item 8 to register, item 5 to renew
- Tourist Hotel: registration process and document requirement 2025: item 7 to register, item 4 to renew
- Boutique Hotel and Boutique Villa: item 7 to register, item 4 to renew
- Tourist Hostel: registration and renewal: the certificate from the local authority or the UDA
- Apartment Hotel: registration and renewal
Before the fire inspection: a checklist
- The right type in each place. A wet chemical extinguisher and a fire blanket for cooking-oil fires in the kitchen. CO2 by the main switchboard, the generator and office electrics. Water or foam for rooms and corridors (a powder cloud blocks the view on escape routes).
- Enough of them, within reach. Each council sets its own rule. In Colombo, for example, the trade-licence rule asks for one first-aid extinguisher for every 210 m² of floor area, so ask your council's fire service what they expect. Mount them near exits, in plain sight, never locked away.
- Charged and undamaged. Gauge (if fitted) in the green, pin and seal in place, no cracked hose, rust or dents. Salt air is hard on metal, so near the sea, look more often.
- Refilled after any use. Even a short burst means it needs a refill.
- Records you can show. List each extinguisher: where it is, its type and size, and when it was last serviced or refilled. Keep the invoices too, with the supplier's name, address and business registration number on them.
- Trained staff, counted. If the 75% rule applies, keep a list of who was trained and when, and count again before each renewal: staff change over the season.
- 110 by the phone. Put Sri Lanka's fire emergency number, 110, at reception and in staff areas, with the property's address beside it.
- Your dates. Note when your fire certificate expires and your SLTDA renewal month, and book the inspection early.
How we help
Our registration number
SafeZone Fire Company is a registered business based in Uluvitika, Galle. Our business registration number (Reg. No.) is in the contact box at the end of this page and at the foot of every page. The same number is printed on our invoices, so the records you keep for the inspection show who supplied and serviced your extinguishers.
Site visit and advice
We walk through the property with you and tell you which extinguishers you need, how many and where. Consultation and inspection.
Supply and installation
New extinguishers of the right types, mounted where staff and guests can reach them. You get the price before any work starts.
Servicing and refilling
We service the extinguishers you already have and refill any that have been used. Inspection and maintenance.
Staff training
Training so your staff know which extinguisher to use, how to use it and when to get out. Fire safety training.
The inspection result is the fire service's decision, so we can't promise it. We help you get the equipment, servicing and training in order before they arrive, in Galle, Hikkaduwa, Unawatuna, Ahangama, Weligama, Mirissa and Tangalle.
Check before you apply
Requirements change. Before you register or renew, check the current list with SLTDA, and ask your council's fire service what they inspect and what proof of staff training they accept. This page is a guide, not legal advice.
Common questions
Does a guest house need a fire certificate in Sri Lanka?
Yes, to register with SLTDA and to keep the licence. SLTDA's guest house document list asks for a Certificate of Fire Protection when you register and again at every yearly renewal.
Does the trainer have to be registered with anyone?
SLTDA's draft classification criteria for tourist hotels say the training should be given by persons registered with the Construction Industry Development Authority (CIDA). The current registration lists only ask for the 75%. Ask SLTDA what it accepts for your property, and ask any trainer about their registration before you book.
How often should a hotel's extinguishers be serviced?
No Sri Lankan legal interval has been published that we know of. International codes such as BS 5306-3 (UK) and NFPA 10 (US) say: look at each one monthly and have it serviced by a competent person yearly. Our maintenance schedule has the details.
When should we contact you before our renewal?
Well before your fire inspection. Tell us your property type, roughly how many rooms, and what extinguishers you have now, and we'll tell you what fits and what it costs.
Talk to us: our details and registration number
- 076 979 7866 (Call)
- WhatsApp 076 979 7866
- [email protected]
- 159/Bokkaramullagoda, Uluvitika, Galle
- Reg. No. 261023028
Updated: 27 October 2026