If you let property in Guildford, you probably know you have to install smoke alarms but you might not know where. And if you’re a tenant, you might wonder what you can do to stop the smoke alarm going off all the time without breaching your tenancy agreement!

In this blog, we look at the law on smoke alarms, and how to make sure they protect the people who live in the property.

What is the law on smoke alarms in rental properties?

Landlords must, by law, ensure that every floor in the rental property has a working smoke alarm. This only applies to floors that are lived in. If you have an attic that is only for storage, it does not need a smoke alarm. 

You do not need to put a smoke alarm in every room. If you have fixed combustion appliances, like a gas boiler or a wood burning stove, you must put a carbon monoxide detector in the room where the boiler or stove is. 

There is no rule about where on each floor you must put the smoke alarm. Most landlords and property owners choose to put them in the hall and/or the landing, in order to cover the biggest area. 

The Fire Kills campaign recommends that you do not put smoke alarms in kitchens or bathrooms. Find out more about Fire Kills here.

You can read the full UK government guidance on smoke alarms for rental properties here.

How do I ensure the smoke alarm is working?

The most common cause of a smoke alarm not working is that its battery is dead or has been taken out. Most smoke alarms beep to indicate that the battery is low and needs replacing. The simplest thing to do is to change the battery! This is the responsibility of the tenants. However, if the tenants think the smoke alarm has a fault, they should report it to the property management team. 

Another common problem with smoke alarms is that they can be super-sensitive and go off even when there is no risk of fire. This can lead to the people who live in the house getting very frustrated and removing the smoke alarms altogether. The best way to avoid this is to position smoke detectors where they will do their job but not let out a false alarm. Remember that smoke from the grill and hob can trigger a smoke alarm, so don’t put a smoke alarm in the kitchen. Instead, consider getting a heat detector for the kitchen. It won’t be triggered by burning toast but it will sound the alarm if the temperature becomes dangerously high. 

If you’ve taken on a property that already has a smoke alarm in the kitchen, encourage your tenants to open the window when they’re cooking so smoke and steam can escape. And if they simply need to reset the alarm after it has gone off, reaching up to push the button with the handle of a wooden spoon is much safer than climbing up on a chair. 

Let property in Guildford