A guesthouse left its first-floor stairwell on a manual switch at the bottom, with no second switch at the top. A guest coming down in the dark after 11pm missed the last two steps. Nobody argued the switch was broken. The argument was about whether it should ever have been the only option.
PIR-controlled corridor and stairwell lighting turns lights on automatically as someone approaches and off after a delay, removing the need to find a switch in the dark. It cuts energy costs in spaces used intermittently at night, and removes a specific fall-risk common in hotels, HMOs and guesthouses. This is distinct from the PIR-controlled outdoor floodlights covered in our entrance lighting guide.
Why a Simple Switch Isn't Actually Simple for Guests
A resident who lives in a property knows exactly where every switch is without thinking. A guest, an overnight visitor, or a new tenant does not, and a corridor or stairwell used only a handful of times a night is exactly where that gap causes real incidents: someone descending stairs in the dark, feeling for a switch that isn't where they expect it. HSE guidance on site lighting specifically flags stairwells as a shadow-prone area needing extra attention, and treats corridors and escape routes as needing to stay well-lit as a baseline expectation.
PIR sensors remove that gap entirely. A sensor mounted to cover the approach to a corridor or stairwell triggers the light before the person needs it, and a timed delay keeps it on for long enough to clear the space safely before switching off again.
| Setting | Sensor type | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Guest corridors, landings | PIR, ceiling or wall mounted | Line-of-sight clear, discreet fitting suits guest-facing areas |
| Stairwells | PIR at top and bottom, overlapping coverage | Avoids a dead zone mid-flight where the light could cut out |
| Back-of-house corridors | PIR or microwave where line-of-sight is blocked | Doors and trolleys can obstruct a PIR's field of view |
| HMO shared hallways | PIR with a moderate delay (60-120 seconds) | Balances energy saving against genuinely intermittent night use |
Not the same product as outdoor security lighting: PIR-controlled floodlights for entrances and car parks are a different application, covered separately in our HMO and hotel security floodlight guide. Indoor corridor sensors are lower output, shorter range, and tuned for people walking through a confined space rather than covering an open outdoor area.
Getting the Timer and Positioning Right
The most common complaint with PIR corridor lighting isn't the sensor failing, it's the timer being set wrong. Too short a delay and the light cuts out while someone is still using the stairs, which is worse for safety than no sensor at all. Too long a delay and the energy-saving benefit largely disappears because lights stay on through long gaps with nobody present.
A stairwell benefits from overlapping sensor coverage at both the top and bottom of the flight, so a person is detected continuously through the whole descent rather than only at the point they first triggered the sensor. A single sensor at one end of a long stairwell is the most common cause of a light cutting out mid-flight.
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Light the Path Before Someone Needs It
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