Martyn's Law: Is your hospitality business ready?

Martyn's Law isn't just for large hotels and major venues. If your premises can reasonably expect 200 or more people, including guests, visitors and staff, even occasionally, the legislation is likely to apply.

This may include hotels, restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses where weddings, conferences, events and peak trading periods can increase the number of people on site.

Howden has partnered with specialist security consultancy Team 9 to produce Martyn's Law Readiness in UK Hospitality 2026, a report exploring how prepared hospitality businesses are for the new legislation and the practical steps operators should be considering now.

Drawing on engagement with hospitality operators across the sector, the report examines current levels of preparedness and some of the practical challenges businesses may face as implementation approaches.

Key considerations include:

• Understanding whether your premises fall within the legislation and which tier applies.

• Establishing who is responsible for meeting the requirements, including registration with the regulator.

• Developing practical and proportionate emergency procedures and response arrangements.

• Ensuring staff are appropriately trained and understand their roles in the event of an incident.

With the deadline for compliance currently set for April 2027, hospitality businesses should already be assessing what actions are required and how long implementation may take. For organisations operating multiple sites, planning and implementation may take longer than expected.

The report provides further insight into the sector's preparedness, key considerations for hospitality businesses and practical actions operators can begin taking now.

Download Team 9's full report, produced with the support of Howden → https://heyzine.com/flip-book/martyns-law-report