Legislation implemented on the 1st October 2015 will standardise and clarify the responsibilities of landlords when it comes to installing smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to protect their residents. Existing rules meant that owners of property built prior to June 1992 were not legally obliged to have smoke alarms installed. The updated legislation intends to ensure ALL rental properties and their residents are adequately protected against fire and carbon monoxide, and our guide is intended to help you interpret these rules.

The proposed legislation is part of a wider effort to increase fire and carbon monoxide safety across the UK. The statistics below, drawn from a variety of sources, highlight why the government has been so keen to redress the imbalance between protection levels for private tenants versus the rest of the housing sector.

Smoke alarm coverage in privately rented accommodation stands at 83%. This is the lowest of any housing type.

Source Official Impact Assessment conducted by government prior to announcement of legislation.

Between April 2013 and March 2014, 97 people died and 1900 were injured in domestic fires affecting properties where no smoke alarm was present.

Source: Fire Statistic Great Britain 2013-14

The risk of a CO related incident occurring in the private rental sector is three times greater than the risk for other housing types.

Source: Gas Safety Trust Carbon Monoxide Incident Report 2012

A study of 1758 emergency department patients displaying symptoms that could be associated with CO poisoning found that only 16% had a CO alarm installed in their home.

Source: BMJ (formerly British Medical Journal) Article 2012

The proposed Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 will apply to all Landlords within England bar a few exceptions. Those exempt from the legislation include:

Landlords sharing accommodation with their tenants

Landlords granting a right of occupation for a term of 7 years or more

Landlords who are registered providers of social housing

Responsibility for the enforcement of the legislation will lie with the relevant local housing authority, and breaches of the guidance can be punished by a fine of up to £5000.

Our team of expert Engineers can attend your property free of charge to provide a full survey and quotation for any works that maybe required, for you to remain compliant with the new legislation. They can also offer free advice and support with all areas of fire safety and compliance. Why not contact us now to book for your FREE no obligation survey.