Fire Fighters* recommend installing a smoke alarm in every bedroom, as well as in the hallway and living areas. That’s because it only takes three minutes for smoke from a house fire to kill. Occupiers can sleep easier knowing they are more likely to survive a house fire with a working smoke alarm. But there’s no sleeping on the job if you’re a landlord. You are responsible for maintaining working smoke alarms in your rental properties and ensuring they meet set criteria.
The team at Angel Property Managers care about fire safety. We’d like to share some tips on how to comply with smoke alarm regulations for rental properties and keep precious families safe.
It’s a requirement for all rental homes to have smoke alarms installed and working, in specified locations, at all times. These must be of a particular type and standard, and they must be serviced and replaced according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
In the event of a house fire, your little smoke alarms will be like angels protecting everyone. Treat them as precious now to ensure they are at their best when the household needs them most. Landlords and tenants should test smoke alarms regularly, replace batteries, and ensure that nothing is altered.
Fire and Emergency NZ recommend checking smoke alarms every six months. Landlords are required to ensure smoke alarms are working at the start of each new tenancy.
*Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ)
Requirements for smoke alarms in a rental property
Smoke alarms must be installed:
- within 3 metres of each bedroom door, or in every room where a person sleeps
- in each level or storey of a multi-storey or multi-level home
- in all rental homes, boarding houses, rental caravans, and self-contained sleep-outs.
All new smoke alarms must:
- be photoelectric
- have a battery life of at least eight years, or be hard-wired
- installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions
- meet international standards.
Existing smoke alarms do not need to be replaced if they are working and have not passed the expiry date.
If you want to know more about fire safety compliance in a rental property, contact one of the Angel Property Managers team. We would like to help you keep households safe.