Question Title: Smoke Detectors
| Question: | ||
| Must we fit smoke detectors to rented property ? | ||
| Answer: | ||
| You may have read about some recently introduced regulations requiring smoke detectors to be fitted to residential property but these regulations only apply to new homes (under building regulations) and caravans. Certain categories of HMO (House in Multiple Occupations) are also required to have a smoke and fire detection system fitted. Some agents are taking the precaution of fitting smoke detectors to all managed properties. At present, there is no obligation for landlords to fit smoke detectors. Where smoke detectors are fitted to a property or installed by the landlord or agent, a landlord could incur liability if a smoke detector was found not to be in working order and a tenant had suffered injury as a result. It would therefore be a wise precaution to specify the tenant's responsibility for maintaining and regularly testing such detectors within the tenancy agreement. It is also important that the tenant clearly understands how to test any detectors fitted. | ||
| References: | Pages: | Hyperlinks: |
| Letting Handbook | Chapters 8 & 16 | product-info/products/letting-handbook-and-factsheets.html |
| Letting Factsheet No 28 | letting-factsheets/factsheets/factsheet-28-housing-health-safety-rating-system.html | |
| Letting Factsheet No 40 | letting-factsheets/factsheets/factsheet-40-houses-in-multiple-occupation-and-the-housing-act-2004.html | |