The Complete Compliance Checklist for Village Halls

Insurance is one of the most important compliance areas for any village hall. Without proper cover, your committee members could be personally liable for claims.

Public Liability Insurance

This is essential for every village hall. Public liability insurance covers claims made by members of the public who are injured or whose property is damaged while on your premises. Most insurers recommend a minimum of £5 million cover, though some hirers (especially commercial ones) may require £10 million.

Buildings Insurance

If your hall is a standalone building, you need buildings insurance to cover the cost of rebuilding in the event of fire, flood, storm damage, or other catastrophic events. Make sure the sum insured reflects the full rebuild cost, not the market value.

Employers' Liability Insurance

If your hall employs anyone (even part-time cleaners or caretakers), employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement. You must have at least £5 million of cover and display the certificate. Volunteers are typically not classed as employees, but check your policy.

Contents Insurance

Covers chairs, tables, kitchen equipment, projectors, sound systems, and other contents. Make a full inventory and ensure the sum insured is adequate.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the "responsible person" for your hall (usually the committee chair or a designated trustee) must ensure fire safety measures are in place.

Fire Risk Assessment

Every village hall must have a written fire risk assessment. This should be reviewed regularly (at least annually) and whenever significant changes are made to the building. You can carry out the assessment yourself using government guidance, or hire a professional assessor.

Fire Equipment & Maintenance

• Fire extinguishers — serviced annually by a qualified engineer
• Fire alarm system — tested weekly, serviced annually
• Emergency lighting — tested monthly, serviced annually
• Fire doors — checked regularly, never propped open
• Fire escape routes — kept clear at all times
• Fire action notices — displayed prominently

Signage

Fire exit signs, assembly point signs, fire action notices, and no-smoking signs are all required. Signs must meet BS 5499 standards and be visible in both normal and emergency lighting conditions.

DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks may be required for committee members and volunteers, depending on the activities your hall hosts.

When are DBS checks needed?

DBS checks are typically required when your hall is involved in regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults. This includes:

• Running children's activities, youth clubs, or holiday schemes
• Operating a pre-school or nursery on the premises
• Hosting activities for vulnerable adults
• Anyone in a position of trust with unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults

Levels of DBS check

Renewal

DBS certificates do not have an official expiry date, but it is good practice to renew them every 3 years. The DBS Update Service allows employees and volunteers to keep their certificate current for an annual fee.

As a venue operator, your committee has a duty of care to everyone who uses the building — hirers, their guests, volunteers, contractors, and the general public.

Key requirements

• Risk assessments

  Carry out risk assessments for the building and any activities the committee organises directly. Hirers should carry out their own risk assessments for their events.

• Electrical safety

  PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) for portable equipment, and a fixed wiring inspection (EICR) every 5 years.

• Gas safety

  If you have gas appliances, they must be checked annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

• Legionella

  If your hall has water systems that are not used regularly (e.g., showers, water tanks), you need a Legionella risk assessment.

• Asbestos

  If your hall was built before 2000, you need an asbestos survey. If asbestos is present, it must be managed safely.

• Accident book

  Keep a record of all accidents and incidents. The HSE requires reporting of certain injuries under RIDDOR.

Even if your hall committee doesn't directly run activities for children or vulnerable adults, you have a responsibility to ensure that hirers do so safely.

What should your committee do?

• Have a safeguarding policy — even a simple one is better than none
• Require hirers running children's activities to show evidence of appropriate DBS checks
• Include safeguarding requirements in your hire agreement
• Designate a safeguarding lead on the committee
• Know how to report concerns to your local authority
• Review your safeguarding policy annually

If your hall collects personal data — and almost all do (hirer contact details, mailing lists, DBS records) — you must comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Key requirements

• Privacy notice

  Tell people what data you collect, why, and how you use it. Display this on your website and include it in your hire agreements.

• Lawful basis

  You need a lawful basis for processing each type of personal data. For most village hall activities, this will be "legitimate interests" or "consent".

• Data minimisation

  Only collect the personal data you actually need. Don't ask for information "just in case".

• Storage and security

  Keep personal data secure — lock filing cabinets, password-protect spreadsheets, and limit access to those who need it.

• Retention

  Don't keep personal data longer than necessary. Set retention periods and delete data when it's no longer needed.

• ICO registration

  Most village halls need to register with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The fee is £40/year for small organisations.

How Village Hall Hub tracks it all

Village Hall Hub's Compliance Centre brings all your compliance requirements into one place. No more spreadsheets, no more sticky notes, no more missed renewals.