Smoke alarms must be checked at the start of every new tenancy.

The landlord needs to maintain the smoke alarms in working order, however it is the tenant’s responsibility to replace non-working batteries. So if the alarm won’t stop beeping despite a new battery then the landlord needs to replace the alarm.

There are specific rules about the placement of smoke alarms. Generally, there needs to be an alarm on each level of the house and one within three metres of each bedroom. It is not a legal requirement to have an alarm in the living room. We recommend having at least two alarms in a property even though this is not a requirement, but it gives peace of mind if one stops working for some reason.

A little known fact is that the older type ionisation alarms (ones with a 9V battery) are only compliant if they were installed before 1 July 2016. They cannot have expired. All alarms installed after this date must be photo-electric, have a battery life of at least 8 years, and be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.