Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations 2015
Important changes to the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 came into force on 1 October 2015
The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 have been approved by parliament and came into force on 1 October 2015.
Private sector and social landlords are required to have:
- at least one smoke alarm installed on every floor of the rental premises;
- a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm in any room containing a fixed combustion appliance (unless this is solely a gas cooker).
Landlords must make sure the alarms are in working order at the start of each new tenancy. It is advisable to keep a record of these checks in case you are questioned about it in the future.
When a landlord is notified that a smoke or CO alarm is not working, they must check and repair or replace it as soon as reasonably practicable.
If a local authority has reasonable grounds to believe a landlord is in breach of the requirements a remedial notice will be served and can issue a penalty of up to £5,000 per breach.
There are some exceptions to this requirement including live in landlords and Social Housing Providers.
Be aware that in some instances, such as where the Local Authority has assessed a Category 1 Hazard for Fire under the Housing Act 2004, Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and non- licensable HMO's, further works above and beyond battery alarms may be required. These could include mains wired smoke and heat alarms under BS5839 (as per LACORs Fire Safety Guide).
More information can be found on the Government website: GOV.UK - Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms or by contacting the Private Sector Housing Team.