Carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms in rental properties

There is a bit of a grey area around who is responsible for providing (and equally importantly, maintaining) smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in rented properties. Read on to discover whether its landlords or tenants who are responsible for these crucial alarms.

Working alarms save lives, fact. It sounds morbid, but according to Gov.uk, in the event of a fire in a home, occupants are at least four times more likely to die if there’s no working smoke alarm. It is also a legal requirement that all rental properties in England follow the Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Regulations.

These regulations require the landlord to install at least one smoke alarm on every floor of the property where a room is used wholly or partly as living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm must be installed in any room containing a solid fuel-burning appliance such as a wood burner or coal fire.

Who’s responsible for fire alarms and smoke detectors in a rental property?

Following the provision of these alarms, the landlord must make sure they are in working order at the start of each new tenancy.

However, here’s where there’s a grey area: it is the tenants who are responsible for replacing batteries or reporting faults mid-tenancy.

If you’re a landlord using Leaders’ Fully Managed Service, our experienced team of property managers test and maintain smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at each property visit, providing both you and your tenant with additional peace of mind.

Want to find out more about our Fully Managed Service? Call 0333 220 4381 to arrange your free rental valuation and discover how Leaders can help let your property quickly and efficiently. Or if you're in a hurry, try out our instant online rental valuation tool.