Landlord Smoke Alarm Regulations: What You Must Do in England

In England, landlords must fit at least one smoke alarm on every storey of a rented home that has living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers. Alarms must be checked at the start of each tenancy and repaired or replaced once you are told they are faulty. HMOs and larger buildings usually need more than this: a proper fire alarm system designed to BS 5839-6.

This guide explains the rules, what they mean in practice, and when a standalone alarm is no longer enough.

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations 2022

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 came into force in England on 1 October 2022. They apply to most private and social rented homes. Under the rules, landlords must:

• Fit at least one smoke alarm on every storey of the property where there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation. A bathroom or toilet counts as living accommodation for this purpose, and so can a hallway or landing on a storey that has one.
• Fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, such as a gas or oil boiler, a wood burner or an open fire. Gas cookers are excluded.
• Make sure alarms are in working order on the day a new tenancy starts.
• Repair or replace alarms once they are told, by a tenant or anyone else, that an alarm is faulty.

Councils can enforce the rules and can issue penalties where landlords fail to comply with a remedial notice. These regulations apply in England; Scotland and Wales have their own, different requirements.

Where should smoke alarms go?

The regulations set a minimum, but placement matters. As a general guide:

• Fit smoke alarms on the ceiling of hallways and landings, close to escape routes, so they wake occupants before smoke blocks the way out
• Avoid kitchens and bathrooms for smoke alarms, as cooking fumes and steam cause false alarms; a heat alarm is normally better in a kitchen
• Keep alarms away from walls, corners, light fittings and air vents, following the manufacturer's instructions
• In larger homes or open-plan layouts, consider additional alarms in living rooms and bedrooms

For CO alarms, follow the manufacturer's positioning guidance, which typically means fitting them in the same room as the appliance, at a set distance from it.

Battery or mains-powered alarms?

The 2022 regulations don't specify the type of alarm, so sealed long-life battery alarms can meet the minimum requirement in a typical single-household let. However, there are good reasons to consider mains-powered alarms with battery backup:

• They don't rely on tenants replacing batteries
• They can be interlinked, so when one alarm detects smoke, every alarm in the property sounds
• They are often required for HMOs, new builds, conversions and properties undergoing major refurbishment

Installing mains-powered alarms involves work on the fixed electrical installation and should be carried out by a qualified electrician, who will test and certify the new circuit or connection.

HMOs and fire alarm systems

Houses in multiple occupation carry a higher fire risk: more people, more cooking, more ignition sources, and occupants who may not know each other or the building well. As a result, HMOs usually need a fire alarm and detection system, rather than simple standalone smoke alarms.

In homes and HMOs, these systems are generally designed to BS 5839-6, the British Standard for fire detection and alarm systems in domestic premises. It describes systems by:

• Grade, which describes the type of equipment and power supply, from interlinked mains-powered alarms with battery backup to a full system with a control panel
• Category, which describes the level of coverage, from detection on escape routes only to detection in most rooms of the property

The right grade and category depend on the size of the property, the number of storeys and occupants, the layout, and whether there are shared kitchens or communal areas. A small shared house might need interlinked mains alarms with detection in escape routes and higher-risk rooms, while a larger HMO or building converted into bedsits may need a panel-based system with wider coverage.

Because requirements vary, check your council's HMO licensing conditions and housing fire safety guidance, and base your system on a fire risk assessment. Where a building has common parts, such as shared hallways in a block of flats or HMO, the responsible person also has duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, including keeping a fire risk assessment. Our fire alarm installation team can install and certify a system to the grade and category your assessment or council specifies.

Testing and maintenance

• Start of tenancy: test every alarm on day one and keep a record, ideally signed by the tenant on the inventory
• During the tenancy: encourage tenants to test alarms regularly and report faults straight away
• Replacement: alarms have a limited lifespan, so check the manufacturer's replacement date printed on the unit
• HMO systems: larger systems need periodic servicing and records, as set out in BS 5839-6 and your licence conditions

How smoke alarms fit with electrical safety

Fire safety and electrical safety go hand in hand. Many domestic fires start with faulty wiring, overloaded sockets or damaged appliances. As well as alarms, private landlords must have the fixed installation inspected and tested at least every five years under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, with remedial work completed within 28 days where the report requires it.

A practical approach is to combine your EICR with a check of your smoke and CO alarms, and PAT testing of any appliances you supply. For a full overview, read our guide to landlord electrical safety regulations, or if you manage shared houses, our guide to HMO EICRs.

Book alarm installation or an inspection

Polarity Electrics installs mains-powered, interlinked smoke, heat and CO alarms and BS 5839-6 fire alarm systems for landlords, letting agents and HMO operators across London and the Home Counties. We can combine alarm work with your EICR in a single visit, with digital certificates emailed the same day. Call 0203 908 4790 or book online.