Landlords have responsibilities regarding smoke alarms. The new legislation in NSW regarding properties under strata are exempt from these regulations only if the owner’s corporation takes full responsibility for the repair and replacement of the alarms and the tenant has been provided with that information in writing. A copy of that report will also need to be held at your agency in case of dispute with the tenant.

Strata is responsible for ensuring that the property meets the requirements of the local council fire order for all units whether they are tenanted or not. Strata does not normally distinguish rental properties, to make them compliant to the building code and the residential tenancies act. They must ensure that there are enough alarms, in the right locations according to the building code or that each alarm is functioning at the change of tenancy.

According to Fire and Rescue NSW data, 56% of fatal home fires between 2000 and 2014 occurred in homes where no smoke alarms were present. A working smoke alarm provides a critical early warning, giving you and your family time to escape. It can take as little as three minutes for a fire to take hold and takes only two quick breaths of thick, black smoke to render someone unconscious.

Fire and Rescue NSW is encouraging NSW residents to ReAlarm their homes by replacing old, outdated smoke alarms with new interconnected alarms in every bedroom, living space (including hallways and stairways) and even the garage in their home.

It’s also important to recognise that technology has evolved and improved over the past 10 years, with new smoke alarms having multiple sensor technologies in the one device.

There are minimum requirements needed to meet the Building Legislation Amendment (Smoke Alarms) Act 2005; however, Fire and Rescue NSW recommends a higher level of protection with the installation of interconnected alarms in every bedroom, living space (including hallways and stairways) and even the garage in your home.

Under the Act, different types of premises require smoke alarms to be installed in various locations. For residential dwellings, a smoke alarm must be installed on each level of the home. The alarm should be installed between the kitchen and sleeping areas, close enough to be heard from the bedrooms.

A common mistake is that smoke alarms are installed too close to the kitchen or bathroom. Fire and Rescue NSW recommends installing interconnected alarms in every bedroom, living space (including hallways and stairways) and even the garage.

There are a number of different types of smoke alarms available: photoelectric, ionisation, multi-criteria and dual-sensor. Carbon monoxide alarms are not smoke alarms and do not satisfy the legislation and may only be used in addition to smoke alarms for increased warning. Specialist alarms for the deaf and hearing impaired, alarms with emergency lights, and special models for kitchens and relocatable homes are also available. All of these smoke alarms differ in how they detect smoke and/or alert people.

Strobe light and vibrating pad smoke alarms are available for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. For more information contact the Deaf Society of NSW on 02 8833 3600 or visit: deafsociety.org.au/equipment/page/smoke_alarms

Sometimes alarms are too close to the kitchen and if you have some smoke or excess steam coming from what you are cooking it will enter the chamber of the smoke alarm that detects smoke, and it will then set the alarm off. If the alarm goes off, the best thing you can do is to force air through the path of the alarm to clear it. You can do this by fanning the alarm. Do not use devices like hair dryers, heat guns or aerosol sprays to move the air as that could damage the alarm. If it continues to chirp contact us and we will get a technician back to re-assess it for you. If it continues to alarm, contact us and our team can help you disarm it.

On 1 May 2006, the NSW Government introduced new legislation following a series of fatal house fires.

This legislation mandated that all residential dwellings in NSW must have at least one working smoke alarm installed on each level of the home. This includes; owner-occupied and rental properties, relocatable homes, caravans and campervans or any other residential building where people sleep. Smoke alarms must comply with Australian Standard 3786 (AS3786), which should be clearly marked on the packaging.

If your alarm is a battery alarm, the alarm may chirp every minute or so for about 20 minutes, then it will generally stop. Some alarms have a 10-year lithium battery, which means it cannot be replaced. If the lithium alarm does not respond to the testing process, your whole alarm is replaced. If your alarm is hard-wired the battery is there to provide backup in case, there is no power. This means if the power is cut, the alarm will still sound alerting your family.

Different alarm types have different battery life. Some alarms have a 10-year lithium battery which means if the alarm does not pass the function test, it would be replaced. If your alarm is a hard-wired or battery alarm, battery life varies which is why we replace batteries every year.

If your alarm is hard wired it will have a green light emitting from the alarm. If it is battery powered there will not be a light as this will drain the battery and reduce the life of the battery.

The Building Code of Australia has some clear guidelines on where alarms need to be positioned. Sometimes alarms are installed in dead air space when they were first installed. This is an area where trapped air will prevent smoke from reaching the alarm. Alarms cannot be in dead air space. As the building code evolves there may be changes needed to where your smoke alarms are located.

Regular testing of the smoke alarms helps determine how often they need to be replaced. Annual testing means that we check that the alarm functions and it is not past its expiry date. All alarms have a 10-year life and need to be changed out after 10 years. If the alarm does not respond to the testing process, we will replace it as part of the service we provide.

No, but you are legally required to ensure smoke alarms are functioning correctly at the commencement of each and every tenancy. To do this, the alarm must be fully tested with artificial smoke and the expiry dates need to be checked.