Smoke alarms for rental properties

Rental properties make up a big share of homes across Wollongong, Warilla and the Shellharbour area, from older brick units to newer townhouses. Smoke alarms in these homes come with responsibilities for both landlords and tenants under NSW rules. This guide gives a general overview. For the full detail, NSW Fair Trading publishes current guidance for landlords and agents.

The landlord's responsibilities

In general terms, NSW landlords must make sure smoke alarms are installed on every level of a rental home and kept in working order. That includes:

• Checking the alarms are working, generally at least once a year.
• Replacing removable batteries within the timeframe the regulations set, or when they run flat.
• Repairing or replacing an alarm that is not working within a short timeframe after finding out about it.
• Replacing alarms before the end of the life the manufacturer specifies.

Hard wired smoke alarms must be repaired or replaced by a licensed electrician. Battery alarms can often be handled by the landlord or agent, but many owners prefer to have everything done by an electrician so there is a clear record.

The tenant's responsibilities

Tenants have a role too. They should let the landlord or agent know as soon as possible if an alarm is not working, and they should not remove or disable alarms. Tenants can generally change a removable battery themselves if they choose, and should tell the landlord they have done it. Pulling a battery out because of cooking false alarms is a common problem and one worth addressing at the source.

Reducing nuisance alarms in rentals

When tenants keep silencing an alarm, the cause is usually placement or the wrong type of alarm. Typical fixes include:

• Moving an alarm that sits too close to the kitchen or bathroom.
• Swapping older ionisation alarms for photoelectric models.
• Fitting hush buttons that let tenants silence a false alarm without removing the battery.
• Improving the range hood so cooking fumes are actually extracted.

These small changes help tenants live comfortably with their alarms instead of fighting them.

Between tenancies is the best time

Empty properties are the easiest to work in. Changeover is a sensible moment to have an electrician test every alarm, check dates, replace anything near the end of its life and look over the rest of the property. While Kalani is on site, he can also check that safety switches trip correctly and that power points and light fittings are not damaged. Customers have told us he found fire hazards in a meter box while he was there for other work, which is exactly the kind of thing worth knowing before a new tenant moves in.

Units and townhouses

In strata buildings, the smoke alarms inside each unit are generally the responsibility of the lot owner, while common area fire systems are handled by the owners corporation. Older unit blocks around Wollongong and Warilla sometimes have a single battery alarm per unit. Upgrading to hard wired alarms is often straightforward and reduces the number of battery calls.

Keeping records

Keep a simple log for each property: the date of each check, which alarms were tested, battery changes and replacement dates. Agents usually manage this, but owners who self-manage should do it too. If anything ever goes wrong, a clear record shows the alarms were maintained.

Long-life alarms make things easier

Sealed ten-year lithium battery alarms and hard wired alarms with sealed backup batteries reduce how often batteries need attention. For landlords managing several properties, that means fewer visits and fewer tenant calls. When they reach the end of their life, the whole unit is replaced.

How Flowstate helps landlords

Kalani works with owners across Shellharbour and Lake Illawarra and the wider Wollongong area. He installs and replaces smoke alarms, fixes faulty ones and explains clearly what was done so you can update your records.

To book an alarm check or changeover visit, call or text 0424 400 346. Photos of the existing alarms and the property address help us plan the job.