Fact Sheets
Smoke Alarms
Rental premises must be fitted with smoke alarms, which will generally be located in a corridor or hallway on each storey of the premises. In boarding premises each bedroom is required to be fitted with a smoke alarm.
At the beginning of a tenancy, the owner must ensure that alarms function effectively, neither alarms nor batteries have reached their expiry date and will not do so within 30 days of the tenancy commencing, and that alarms are free from dust and debris.
Smoke alarms can be either mains powered or contain a 10-year non-removable battery. Standard 9V battery powered alarms are not sufficient for rental properties.
MAINS POWERED SMOKE ALARMS
During a lease the landlord must ensure that the back up batteries in mains powered smoke alarms are replaced after 12 months of use or when the batteries ave reached their expiry date – whichever occurs first. It is also the landlords responsibility to replace the alarm or the back up battery if they do not work effectively.
10 YEAR NON-REMOVABLE BATTERY SMOKE ALARMS
During the lease a landlord is responsible for replacing 10 year non-removable battery alarms after 10 years of use or when the alarm has reached its expiry date or it is not functioning effectively, whichever happens first.
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR
During the lease it is the tenants responsibility to test smoke alarms every 6 months, remove dust and debris from the surface of the alarm and avoid damage.
The landlord is required to replace or repair an alarm as soon as practicable after becoming aware of an issue.
For further details on the number and placement of the smoke alarms and the responsibility for testing, see the Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (former Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading) website.
DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is not legal advice. It is intended as a guide only. It applies only to legislation current in Tasmania as at 16 April 2018. For information regarding a specific tenancy problem please phone the Tenants’ Union on 1300 652 641 or (03) 6223 2641. The Tenants’ Union of Tasmania Inc. accepts no responsibility for actions based on this information, nor for actions based on electronic translations of this.
