Landlords: Have you Applied for your FREE Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms?
Published on September 1, 2015 by Sarah Mac
From 1 October 2015, there will be a legal requirement on landlords to install working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in their properties.
The measures announced in March 2015 by Housing Minister Brandon Lewis were aimed at preventing up to 26 deaths and 670 injuries per year. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) says that people living in rented or shared accommodation are seven times more likely to have a fire.
The new law explained
Here is a summary of what you will be bound by law to adhere to if you are a landlord, as of October 2015:
- Installing one smoke alarm on each storey of your rental property
- Installing one carbon monoxide alarm in any room that contains a solid fuel burning appliance
- Carrying out tests on each alarm at the beginning of every tenancy
These are the minimum requirements and you can read about the legislation updates in more detail on the dedicated Alarms4Life website. Recommendations include fitting smoke alarms in every room other than the kitchen and bathroom. For added safety, heat alarms can be installed in kitchens.
Free alarms for private landlords
There are 46 fire and rescue authorities in the UK and all are expected to back private landlords in their own regions, helping them meet their new responsibilities by offering free alarms courtesy of Government grants.
The London Fire Brigade is one authority definitely behind the programme. They are offering free smoke and carbon monoxide alarms through DCLG funding to all qualifying private landlords. If you own a rental property within Greater London or are a managing agent, you can apply for one free smoke alarm per floor and one carbon monoxide alarm for every room that has a solid fuel burning appliance.
There is a limited supply, but landlords are invited to apply for up to five properties and multiple forms can be submitted if needed. The London Fire Brigade says it will be prioritising applications on a risk basis and will inform landlords or agents if their application is successful.
The London Fire Brigade is offering free smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to all qualifying private landlords.
Fines for failing to comply
The Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said, “The vast majority of landlords offer a good service and have installed smoke alarms in their homes, but I’m changing the law to ensure every tenant can be given this important protection.
But with working smoke alarms providing the vital seconds needed to escape a fire, I urge all tenants to make sure they regularly test their alarms to ensure they work when it counts. Testing regularly remains the tenant’s responsibility.”
Landlords who fail to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will be faced with legal action and civil penalties of up to £5,000.
The new legislation brings private rented properties in line with existing building regulations that call for new build residential properties to be installed with hard-wired smoke alarms.
The British Property Federation commented that the new law is necessary to force the minority of landlords who do not install alarms to bring them up to standard and added that despite the fact most landlords do all that is necessary to safeguard their tenants, the installation of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms being made compulsory will offer tenants reassurance and provide clarity to landlords.
Testing of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at the start of a tenancy can be carried out as part of an inventory check-in so that there is unbiased written evidence of the functionality and condition of the alarms.