Are your smoke alarms compliant in your rental property?

In Queensland, all leased rental properties must now comply with the QLD smoke alarm legislation starting from the 1st of January 2022 onwards, which is why understanding smoke alarms compliance for rental properties is a MUST.

As you know, all landlords in the said state should know this change in the law as well as their new obligation with regard to fire safety. 

Now, if you are a landlord and not sure if your property is smoke alarm compliant, then here are some details on the things you need to know about Queensland Smoke Alarm Legislation

QLD Smoke Alarms Legislative Requirements

Since smoke alarms are compulsory in all rental properties, you must ensure that they are all interconnected. Meaning, when one alarm is activated, then all other smoke alarms should make a sound in order to meet the new legislative requirements.

Aside from this, smoke alarms in QLD must also meet the following requirements:

• must be photoelectric compliant (AS 3786-2014)
• do not contain an ionisation sensor 
• must be less than 10 years old 
• must be installed in every bedroom 
• operate when tested

Hard-wired Smoke Detectors: A Must-Have

Smoke alarms must be 240V hardwired or powered by a non-removable Lithium 10-year battery.

Testing of Smoke Alarms

How often should you test smoke alarms in your rental properties? It is mandatory to test and clean every smoke alarm within 30 days before the commencement of a tenancy.

After this, best practice is to have the smoke alarms professionally serviced annually to remove legal liability in the case of an emergency.

Person-in-charge for Smoke Alarms in Rentals

As mentioned above, landlords are legally required to make sure that their rental properties are compliant and meet the current QLD Smoke Alarm Legislation. Otherwise, it may run the risk of the property not being eligible for lease and potential fines being issued.

Property Owners can take on the legal liability and testing for this unto themselves, however it is not recommended and you will need to check that it does not void any Insurances you have for the property. 

Furthermore, if a rental property has not been recently built or renovated, there is a chance that each current smoke alarm will require replacement to ensure compliance. 

It should also be noted that interconnected photoelectric alarms are a new requirement now that each bedroom and each storey of the property must also have its own alarm. For more information on how to comply with the new QLD smoke alarm legislation and meet all health and safety requirements, visit the Queensland Government’s residential tenancy authority website.