Advice for private landlords

It is a legal requirement for all private sector landlords to install a smoke alarm on every storey of their rented dwellings, and to ensure these alarms are checked between tenancies. Landlords with solid fuel appliances must now also install a carbon monoxide detector. Failure to comply with the requirements of the regulations may result in a fixed penalty charge of £5,000.

From 1 October 2022, if a landlord is notified by a tenant of a defective smoke or carbon monoxide alarm, the amended regulation requires landlords to investigate and repair or replace the item as soon as reasonably possible.

To assist landlords and managing agents in compliance, the government issued the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022: guidance for landlords and tenants (opens new window). These should be read in conjunction with the Council's own guidance on Fire Precautions in Dwellings.