Are you Compliant? What every Landlord needs to know about their Smoke Alarm Responsibilities.

As a landlord, it’s your responsibility to ensure smoke alarms are correctly installed and maintained in every rental property, safeguarding both your tenants’ lives and your legal obligations.

The Landlords Information Statement outlines four duties required for servicing and repairing smoke alarms.

Smoke alarms must be working

Landlords must ensure that smoke alarms (including heat alarms) are working. In a rental tenancy agreement this responsibility must be fulfilled by the landlord and cannot be given to tenants.

A smoke alarm is not working if it:

• Is removed (and not replaced with a working smoke alarm)
• Malfunctions (e.g. due to insects, corrosion of electrical circuitry, accumulated dust, and airborne contaminants)
• Doesn’t work (e.g. battery needs to be replaced)

Placement of Smoke Alarms

Landlords must ensure that at least one smoke alarm is installed in each storey of a rented home in a hallway outside a bedroom or other suitable location. Smoke alarms (including heat alarms) must be working, and cannot be disabled or removed.

Time frame for repairing a Smoke Alarm

Landlords must:

1. Ensure that if a smoke alarm is found to be malfunctioning, it is fixed or replaced within two business days. This includes replacing a removable battery
2. Replace the battery within two business days of:

• Being informed by the tenant that the battery is not working, unless the tenant advises that they will replace the battery
• Discovering that the tenant has not replaced the battery, or where they haven’t been notified that the tenant has replaced the battery

Annual checks and battery change

Landlords must:

• Check smoke alarms every year to ensure they are working
• Install or replace removable batteries every year (or, for lithium batteries follow the manufacturer’s instructions)
• Replace smoke alarms within 10 years of manufacture date, or earlier if stated by the manufacturer
• Give the tenant at least two business days’ notice to inspect or assess for the need for a smoke alarm repair or replacement
• One hour notice to be given to the tenant for the need to carry out a repair or replacement of a smoke alarm
• Use a licensed electrician to repair or replace a hard-wired smoke alarm