For the purposes of the regulations, a private landlord is considered to share accommodation with the tenant if they share an amenity such as a kitchen or living room. The regulations are not aimed at owner-occupied properties. Do the regulations apply to HMOs (House in Multiple Occupation)? It is the department’s intention to ensure this booklet is updated whenever there are changes, but it is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure that they are applying the relevant laws correctly. Typically, these appliances are powered by gas, oil, coal, wood, etc., for example, gas or oil boilers, or log-burning stoves. If a householder wants an alarm fitted in their kitchen, the best type for these situations is the heat alarm. This type of detector is not sensitive to smoke and works by recognising a significant rise in temperature instead, such as that caused by a fire.

Ensure at least one smoke alarm is equipped on each storey of their homes where there is a room used as living accommodation. This has been a legal requirement in the private rented sector since 2015. The biggest advantage to mains-powered alarms is that there is no need to worry about battery life. However, residents need to be made aware that even mains-powered detectors only have a certain shelf life. These regulations do not apply to other types of homes provided by social landlords, such as social sector leaseholders or shared ownership. Storey Carbon monoxide alarms must be installed in any room containing any fixed combustion appliance, except gas cookers. This means a fixed apparatus where fuel of any type is burned to generate heat. British Standard 5839 Part 6 is a code of practice relating to the design, installation and maintenance of fire detection systems in domestic premises. The standard also grades fire detection systems which reflects their functionality and capability. The below table details the up-to-date grades for fire detection systems. Alarm Grades by Power Type (BS 5839 Part 6) BS 5839-6: 2019 GradeHeat detectors are not a replacement for smoke alarms. What is meant by ‘equipping’ an alarm? Is it sufficient for landlords to provide an alarm, or do they need to install them? For maximum protection, it is advised that each room in a property should have a smoke detector installed. However, this is not always practical, so a good rule of thumb to go by is to at least ensure that each floor of a property has an alarm fitted. In these cases, a combination of ionisation and optical alarms works best.

This is because, while it can be linked to other Nest alarms, all of which will sound when they detect smoke or CO, the Nest has no way of detecting heat rises. And having an interlinked heat alarm is a requirement of the new laws in Scotland. A carbon monoxide alarm is a device designed to detect the presence of carbon monoxide gas, and alert users of any detection usually, but not always, through an audible sound alert. Carbon monoxide gas Even if the poisoning is not at a high enough level to kill, it can still cause breathing problems for the rest of a person's life.For example, specialist smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms that alert by vibration or flashing lights (as opposed to by sound alerts) may be required for residents who are deaf or hard of hearing. The regulations apply to unlicensed HMOs. Licensed HMOs are exempt from Parts 1 to 5 of the regulations but only because the regulations also amend the HMO licensing obligations in the Housing Act 2004 so as to impose similar requirements. Do the regulations apply to owner occupiers?