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The changes are scheduled to come into effect soon after their Parliamentary approval, on 10 October 2015.
Fire and rescue authorities will be directed to support with the implementation - providing local private landlords with free alarms.
Brandon Lewis commented:
"In 1988 just 8% of homes had a smoke alarm installed – now it’s over 90%.
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."
"In 1988 just 8% of homes had a smoke alarm installed – now it’s over 90%.
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."
The move will help prevent up to 36 deaths and 1,375 injuries a year.
Expectations of a landlord -
Landlord failing to meet the new regulations could face a maximum £5,000 civil penalty.
- Smoke alarms installed on every floor of the rental property, and test them at the start of every tenancy.
- Carbon monoxide alarms in all high risk rooms – such as those where a solid fuel heating system is installed.
Landlord failing to meet the new regulations could face a maximum £5,000 civil penalty.
Read more on current Fire safety in rental properties
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7 comments:
cheaper to install these than deal with death from co poisoning. great idea.
This is all fine. Until the tenants constantly unplug the the alarms. I have mains linked with battery back up smoke alarms and only heat detectors in kitchens. Yet I constantly find tenants unplug them and take them off due to false alarms. Great idea in theory...... Carbon monoxide alarms, much easier.
Does this apply across just england /Wales or is it for scotland and Northern Ireland as well?
I'm happy to comply as always regard safety measures as important but my gas safe engineer says you don't need carbon monoxide detectors with modern combi boilers.
almost every smoke alarm ive fitted in all my property's has had the battery removed usually the same day to be put in the tenents torch, radio or whatever else they need a battery for, how do we combat that then ?
Maybe it also needs be an offence to tamper with an alarm. On my last changeover, all the alarms had batteries removed, even in the bedrooms, by a tenant who professed to care about her children. You can't fix stupid.
Brilliant suggestion to make it an offence if tenants tamper with safety alarms! I insist my tenants sign a Welcome Letter regarding Health and Safety. They have to sign agreement to not burn candles and to test the fire and carbon monoxide alarms on the first day of every month. Landlords are really given a most difficult time from both the Government and the tenants and it is time we are acknowledged for generally being caring and diligent. Tenants get away with murder.
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