GUEST
ACCOMMODATION
INSPECTION CHECKLIST
TOURISMNI.COM
No. General Checked
The accommodation must:
1 Provide en-suite bedrooms for visitors.
2 Provide a daily cleaning service of rooms when visitors are resident.
3
Be capable of making breakfast available to visitors. This may be cooked or
continental, or as an alternative you can provide breakfast supplies, a breakfast bag,
or vouchers for a local establishment.
No. General Checked
The accommodation must:
4 Be safe, of durable construction, in good repair and suitably designed.
5
Be used exclusively or primarily for the provision of sleeping accommodation
for visitors, in separate en-suite bedrooms.
6
Be kept clean, in good decorative order and well maintained throughout.
This includes outdoor areas, grounds and car parking.
7 Have an entrance hall with reception desk for arriving visitors.
INSPECTION
CHECKLIST
Guest Accommodation:
Inspection checklist
Guest Accommodation is the provision of ensuite bedrooms
for visitors. They may be motel-style bedrooms; a group
of bedrooms located adjacent to a restaurant; or possibly
standalone units in a courtyard with individual access to each
bedroom. A property certified as Guest Accommodation will
provide comfortable overnight sleeping accommodation for
visitors, in separate en-suite bedrooms, with a means to make
breakfast available to visitors.
This checklist is designed to help you to prepare for your
inspection from Tourism Northern Ireland (Tourism NI).
Before you can trade, your property must be certified so
to enable us to award a certificate, you should have the
premises ready as if a guest was arriving. If we cannot award
a certificate on the day you will have to reapply and pay an
additional fee.
This checklist is intended as a guide and is not exhaustive. It
contains legislative requirements and suggestions as-to how
you might meet these requirements. Full information about the
Tourism (Northern Ireland) Order 1992 can be found at:
www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1992/235/contents
A member of the Certification team will go through
the legislation with you and discuss any outstanding
requirements.
The inspection is a two-way process and, for many,
this is the start of your journey with Tourism NI and the
development of your business. If you have any questions,
we are happy to discuss these with you at any time. During
the visit we may also provide general business advice and
marketing, however this can be developed further during
Quality Grading visits.
It is essential that your premises is compliant with all
statutory bodies. The onus is on you as the operator to
ensure compliance. Further advice can be found at:
www.tourismni.com/startup-advice/legal--licensing/
No. Visitor bedrooms Checked
8
Bedrooms must be designated so that they can be easily identified, e.g. with
numbers, or letters on doors. Bedroom doors may be located on the exterior
wall of the establishment, motel-style.
9
Visitors’ bedrooms should be of adequate size to cater for the number of guests
that the room is intended to hold.
10
Suitable locking devices on any door opening onto a corridor or the outside of
the accommodation: two on the interior of the door and one on the exterior.
11 At least two electrical outlets for attaching electrical equipment.
12 A bed or beds for each visitor, with interior sprung mattress or suitable equivalent.
13
A supply of clean linen, blankets or duvets and pillows. Mattress protectors and
pillow protectors are strongly recommended to help you to meet
cleanliness requirements.
14
Furniture, fittings and equipment of good quality and condition for sleeping and
toilet purposes and the storage of visitors’ clothes.
This should include:
15 Loose or built in units to include a wardrobe or cupboard.
16 Dressing table.
17 Mirror.
18 Drawer space for clothes.
19 Bedside chair and table.
20 Waste bin.
21 A carpet or floor of suitable design.
22
Window curtains or blinds for privacy and the exclusion of light. Where bedrooms
overlook the road or any public area, privacy blinds or voiles are required.
INSPECTION
CHECKLIST
Guest Accommodation:
Inspection checklist
No. En-suite bathrooms Checked
23
En-suite bathrooms must have a bath or shower, WC, and wash hand basin - all of
which are of good quality and in good condition.
24
Plumbing in all bathrooms should be in good working condition and can provide
a continuous supply of hot and cold running water and the disposal of waste water.
25
En-suite bathrooms must have direct or mechanical ventilation, i.e. an extractor
fan or opening window.
The bathroom must be equipped with:
26 Mirror.
27 Towel rail.
28 Clothes hooks.
29 Bathmat.
30 A supply of toiletries, including towels, soap and toilet paper.
No. Heating, lighting & ventilation Checked
31 The accommodation should have effective means of natural lighting and ventilation.
32
It should have a suitable heating system that can maintain a room temperature
of at least 18.5 degrees Celsius, i.e. oil, gas, solar, electric or any other heating system.
No. Management & staff Checked
33
The accommodation should be supervised by a person trained or experienced
in the management of tourist accommodation.
34
The accommodation should be staffed both in numbers and training to ensure
appropriate standards of service at all reasonable times.
INSPECTION
CHECKLIST
Guest Accommodation:
Inspection checklist
No. After the inspection Checked
35
Display your Tourism NI Certificate in a prominent location, which is easily seen
by visitors, before or immediately after they enter the property. We recommend
that you display a copy on all online listings to reassure visitors.
36
A Visitors’ Register must be kept, including the name, address, nationality and
date of arrival and departure for each guest. Details must be maintained for one
year, in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. Registration details must
be stored securely online or in a handwritten register.
We recommend that you provide:
37
• Public liability insurance.
• An information pack with emergency numbers and instructions on operating key
equipment.
• Terms and conditions.
• Tourist information.
38
You can apply to join Tourism NI’s Quality Grading Scheme directly with your
assessor, by calling 028 9044 1682 or online once your property is certified:
https://forms.tourismni.com
39
Once your property has been certified you can follow the next steps and marketing tips at this
https://www.tourismni.com/business-guidance/sector/accommodation/accommodation-getting-started/advice-and-next-steps/
INSPECTION
CHECKLIST
Guest Accommodation:
Inspection checklist
It is also important that your premises is compliant with all other statutory bodies and their relevant legislation. The onus is
on you as the operator to ensure compliance. Below is a list of examples:
• Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service - A Fire Safety Risk Assessment is required under The Fire and Rescue Services
(NI) Order 2006. This must be carried out, and any fire safety measures identified by the Fire Safety Risk Assessment
must be implemented. Further information can be found at:
https://www.nifrs.org/home/staying-safe/business-fire-safety/fire%20risk-assessments/
• Consideration should be given to providing Carbon Monoxide detector(s) where there are appliances that burn fuels such
as gas, oil, coal, etc. Further information can be found at: www.hseni.gov.uk/articles/carbon-monoxide
• You should ensure that, where relevant, your premises is compliant with Building Control, Planning and the Disability
Discrimination Act.
•
Clearance should be received from the Environmental Health department at your local council regarding food safety and hygiene.
• You can find more examples at https://tourismni.com/startup-advice/legal--licensing/
