Smoke alarms

Whether you live in a property you own, or you are a tenant, it is a requirement of legislation that there be, at least, one working smoke alarm installed on every level of your home. This includes owner occupied homes, rental properties, relocatable homes, caravans and camper-vans or any other residential building where people sleep.

These alarms must be placed in hallways near bedrooms; however, if bedrooms are in different parts of the house, you must have alarms installed in each of these locations. If there are no hallways associated with the bedrooms, alarms must be installed between the part of the home containing the bedroom and the rest of the house. You must have smoke alarms on all levels of your home even if there are no bedrooms located on that level.

Caravans and campervans have limited escape options in the event of a fire. You have just a few seconds to get out of a burning caravan, as they are constructed of lightweight and potentially highly combustible fittings.   A working smoke alarm can mean the difference between life and death. NSW legislation stipulates that you must have, at least, one working smoke alarm inside the van where the bed is, and one in the annex if people are sleeping there.

If you live in a rental home, it is the landlord’s responsibility to install and maintain the smoke alarm. Landlords have the right of access to rented premises to fit smoke alarms after giving the tenant, at least, two days’ notice. After the tenancy begins, the tenant is responsible for replacing the battery, if needed, in battery-operated smoke alarms. Hard-wired smoke alarm back-up batteries are to be replaced by the landlord.

If the tenant is physically unable to change the battery the tenant is required to notify the landlord as soon as practicable.

Smoke alarms must meet Australian Standards 3786 (AS3786).