If you own a property in the private rental or social sectors, you will need to be aware of the tightening of regulations regarding smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, which come into October 2022.

Under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Amendment Regulations 2022, landlords of both private and social housing in England and Wales must ensure a smoke alarm is fitted on every floor of their property where there is a room used wholly, or partly, as living accommodation.

 James Richards, our Director of Lettings, shares his expertise and explains what you need to know on the matter.

Why the law is being changed: smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms really do save lives

Research has shown that working smoke detectors can reduce the chance of you or your family members dying in a house fire by 50% and shows that approximately 890 lives could be saved annually if all homes had working smoke alarms. Furthermore, 430 lives are being taken a year from carbon monoxide poisoning, so ensuring your carbon monoxide detectors are up and running is crucial for every home.

Making the private and social rental sectors more aligned in safety measures for tenants

Most landlords will already be providing adequate safety measures, but for any homeowner, it is a good idea to follow these guidelines provided for landlords and check smoke alarms regularly. As the changes bring both the private and social rental sectors in line with each other in terms of safety, this can only be reassuring for both landlords and their tenants.

What landlords need to do: make checks and changes to your lettings properties now to avoid fines

To avoid being fined and found in breach of the rules when they change in October, it’s a good idea to consider installing, servicing and repairing alarms now. At the time of writing, landlords can still choose whether they prefer to use lithium batteries for each smoke alarm or to have the whole system hardwired or interlinked; but this could still change come October.

Carbon monoxide alarms are needed in rental properties too

A carbon monoxide alarm will also be obligatory in any room used as living accommodation with a fixed combustion appliance – such as a boiler – rather than just those with a ‘solid fuel-burning combustion appliance’, as previously required. However, gas cookers are excluded.

The regulations also mean that landlords and agents will also need to replace or repair any alarms that tenants report are not working ‘as soon as reasonably practicable’.

If you are looking for support in renting out a property why not give us a call on 01892 514100.  The team at Maddisons Residential are more than happy to help.