Requirement of hard wired smoke / fire alarm system?

[aero]

hi All,

A late merry xmas to you.

Could someone tell me if it is a legal requirement to have a hard wired smoke / fire alarm in a property that I will let out.

It will not be HMO - its just an ex council 3 bed semi built in the 60's

Can battery operated fire alarms be used, or must they be hard wired?


Thanks

[LesleyAnne]

Properties built after a cetain date must have detectors fitted as standard.

However, unless an HMO, there is no obligation to supply/install any smoke detectors at all, although obviously a wise precaution. You should stipulate in your TA that tenants are advised to test atleast monthly and replace dead batteries, although enforcing it is almost impossible. If you have solid fuel or gas appliances, a battery powered CO detector is also a wise investment, but again, not compulsory.

[jta]

As far as I'm aware there is no legal requirement, as yet...........however a hardwired alarm could be seen as a sensible decision that your insurance company would approve of. Tenants can get a bit crispy in a house fire which they could have been warned of had they changed their smoke alarm batteries, some of mine just removed the batteries because they burn the toast and set them off.

[msec]

Hello,

I am a self employed electrician, is the property being re-wired? There is no obligation or requirement to fit hard wired smoke detectors to an existing property or intallation. Howeever, they are required in new build properties and new installations. If you are having the property re-wired then they are required under the building and wiring regulations. From the sound of it this property would require one smoke detector upstairs, one downstairs and a heat detector in the kitchen, all interlinked and fed from its own breaker or local, regularly used lighting circuit.

[theartfullodger]

Aero - welcome to LLZ!

Just in case you are asking about a Scottish property almost all of those of more than 1 storey must have mains-powered interlinked smoke detectors.



In England or Scotland as a landlord I'd like to be able to tell the court should there be a fire I'd put in good CO & smoke detectors, apart from them being a prudent expense to protect the landlord's investments...

[JamesHopeful]

I would be very interested in knowing the answer to this question, but in relation to non-licensable HMOs. Does anyone have any thoughts? I appreciate that the LACORS guidance says you should have a hard-wired smoke/heat alarm system, but I don't really understand to what extent that is legally binding, or whether it is just giving examples of best practice.

It will not be HMO - its just an ex council 3 bed semi built in the 60's

Apologies for being patronising if you have already been through this, but are you sure it won't be an HMO? Unless you're letting it to a single family, then a 3-bed would normally be an HMO (assuming all bedrooms are intended to be occupied).

[aero]

the house Will be occupied by one family - most likely a couple with 2/3 children.

[midlandslandlord]

I'd say that common sense says probably put it in if you are rewiring the relevant areas, otherwise go for 10 year battery alarms.

ML