The New Smoke Alarm Legislation Has Arrived

We are still at the threshold of 2017 and it’s a great time to make sure all properties on your portfolio are compliant to the required legislations, as well as ensuring that you are up to date with all safety checks.

Also, see to it that you prepare a list of all outstanding maintenance items and carry out inspections and alterations. Set up appointments with professionals to perform all of these tasks.

There have been changes to compliance and one of the most recent is the smoke alarm legislation pertinent to newly built homes which came into effect on 1st January 2017. The intent of said legislation is to provide a higher level of safety compared to the former legislation.

The locations in which the alarms must be installed, the number of alarms to be installed, including the types of alarms and how they communicate with each other are some of the main highlights of the Fire and Emergency Service (Domestic Smoke Alarms) Amendment Act 2016.

Here are some of the requirements of installing smoke alarms:

• Smoke alarms must be installed inside each bedroom rather than on the entrance.
• They should be operated by 240 volts or a 10-year lithium battery.
• Install photoelectric, rather than ionisation alarms as they have been proven to respond quicker and are less likely to activate in false alarm situations.
• All of the alarms must be interconnected with each other so they sound simultaneously when one of them detects smoke.

The new legislation has a 5 year deadline for rental properties so all of your older properties will still have enough time to comply. However, time flies just when we think we have enough of it so it’s best you act as early as you can and start setting aside a budget to aid the installations. You must also bear in mind that the closer you are to the deadline, it is less likely that you can book an appointment with technicians and electricians easily as other landlords will be scrambling for professional services just to be in time for the deadline as well. It would be wise to make a booking as early as possible than risk having a last minute wild-goose chase.