Burning Down the The House -Property Management Advice - Smoke Alarms

Since 1 May 2006, all NSW residents have been required to have at least one working smoke alarm installed on each level of their home. This includes owner occupied, rental properties, relocatable homes or any other residential building where people sleep.

Smoke alarms are already mandatory for all new buildings and in some instances when buildings are being renovated. Smoke alarms are life-saving devices that provide benefits for occupants. They detect smoke well before any sleeping occupant would and provide critical seconds to implement actions to save life and property. Smoke alarms are designed to detect fire smoke and emit a loud and distinctive sound to alert occupants of potential danger.

Landlords are responsible for the installation of smoke alarms in rented premises.

• Landlords have the right of access to rented premises to fit smoke alarms after giving the tenant at least two days notice.

• Neither the landlord nor the tenant are, except with reasonable excuse, permitted to remove or interfere with the operation of a smoke alarm fitted in the rented premises.

• Where a smoke alarm is of the type that has a replaceable battery, the landlord must put a new battery in at the commencement of a tenancy.

• After the tenancy begins, the tenant is responsible for replacing the battery if needed. However, if the tenant is physically unable to change the battery the tenant is required to notify the landlord as soon as practicable after becoming aware of the need for it to be replaced.

• The tenant is not responsible for the replacement of batteries in ‘hard-wired’ smoke alarm systems that have battery back-up. This is the responsibility of the landlord.

• The condition report section of the tenancy agreement must include a specific reference to smoke alarms so that tenants and landlords are able to note and comment on the presence of smoke alarms at the beginning and end of the tenancy.

Where should smoke alarms by positioned?

The general principle is that smoke alarms should be positioned to detect smoke before it reaches sleeping occupants. The sound emitted by the alarm is designed to wake occupants, giving them time to evacuate.

Houses, villas etc. and relocatable homes (Class 1a)

In Class 1a buildings and relocatable homes, smoke alarms must be installed on every storey.
Storeys with bedrooms

In storeys containing bedrooms smoke alarms are to be located on or near the ceiling:

• in every corridor or hallway associated with a bedroom, or
• if there is no corridor or hallway, between the part of the building containing the bedroom and the remainder of the building or home.

Diagram 1 shows where to locate a smoke alarm in a dwelling where bedrooms are grouped together and connected to the living areas by a corridor or hallway.

In those dwellings where the bedrooms are not grouped together or no connecting hallway exists, then smoke alarms should be located as shown in Diagram 2.

Diagram 2: Dwellings with separated sleeping areas

Storeys with no bedrooms

A smoke alarm must be installed in storeys not containing bedrooms. In these storeys a smoke alarm should be located in the path of travel people will most likely take to evacuate the building. This will ensure an alarm is sounded before smoke makes the escape route impassable. If the bedrooms are on the first floor, then an alarm should be positioned near the area of the interconnecting stair, as shown in Diagram 3 and 4.

Diagram 3: Two storey dwelling showing smoke alarms in the storey containing bedrooms (first floor) and the storey not containing bedrooms (ground floor)

Diagram 4: Cross section through a dwelling showing smoke alarms in the storey containing bedrooms (top floor) and the storeys not containing bedrooms. Smoke alarms located within area of stairway

• Electrical retailers
• Security companies

There are a number of reputable companies which have invested a lot of time & money into creating systems that make maintaining smoke alarms as trouble free & easy as possible & to give landlords & property managers peace of mind that an investment property is being maintained as it should be. If you would like further advice regarding smoke alarms please contact Lorna Angell.