Concerning Smoke Alarm Trends and How to Address Them

According to Smoke Alarm Solutions, around one-third of properties that have attempted to upgrade to the 2022 smoke alarm legislation using third-party providers are falling non-compliant.

The most common issue reported is the incorrect type of smoke alarm is being installed. 41% of the alarms they have come across are using either the incorrect Australian standard alarm or an alarm that isn’t photoelectric. Meanwhile, roughly 35% of properties are installing smoke alarms in exclusion zones and using incorrect distances.

Queensland legislation on smoke alarms states that alarms must be certain distances away from objects that may interfere with the alarms.

More concerning statistics they found are:

• 13% of the properties, the occupants have removed the smoke alarms
• 5% are non-compliant due to faulty alarms
• 4% have interconnection issues, which means not all alarms sound when an alarm is activated
• 2% fail to be compliant due to non-compatibility, which means installers are trying to use different brands of alarms as part of an interconnection loop

For Landlords/Property Managers, the best way to ensure compliance is to use a qualified electrician with smoke alarm compliance experience. A quality electrician will use quality parts that help prevent false sounding or faulty alarms.

Remember, you have a responsibility to ensure a rental property meets all health and safety requirements. Ensuring your rental properties are equipped with compliant smoke alarms that are regularly maintained will give you and your tenant both peace of mind.

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