Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms are an important topic. As a landlord it is important to know your responsibilities. It is a requirement that a landlord and their property manager ensure a rental property meet all health and safety requirements and this includes smoke alarms. It is the landlords responsibility to install smoke alarms that comply with current legislation. Under current legislation landlords or their managers must;
- test and clean smoke alarms and replace any flat or nearly flat batteries within 30 days before the start or renewal of a tenancy
- not remove a smoke alarm or a battery (other than to replace it), or do anything to reduce the effectiveness of the alarm e.g. paint it.
As a tenant it is important to know your responsibilities as well. Tenants must:
- test and clean (by vacuuming or dusting) smoke alarms at least once every 12 months
- replace any flat or nearly flat batteries
- advise the property owner/manager if there is any issue with the alarm (apart from batteries)
- allow the property owner/manager right of entry to install smoke alarms
- not remove a smoke alarm or the battery (other than to replace it), or do anything to reduce the effectiveness of the alarm e.g. paint or cover it
From 1 January 2022 smoke alarms in all dwellings must:
- be photoelectric;
- be interconnected with every other smoke alarm in the dwelling so all activate together;
- be less than 10 years old;
- operate when tested;
- not also contain an ionisation sensor;
- be either hardwired or powered by a non-removable 10-year battery.
Smoke alarms must be installed on each storey:
- in each bedroom;
- in hallways which connect bedrooms and the rest of the dwelling; or
- if there is no hallway, between the bedrooms and other parts of the storey;
- if there are no bedrooms on a storey, at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the most likely path of travel to exit the dwelling.
Find out more about the new smoke alarm legislation from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.