Smoke alarm and carbon monoxide regulations

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Requirements 

Private sector landlords and social landlords will be required to have smoke and carbon monoxide  alarms in their rental properties for new tenancies which start from 1 October 2022. The government has published draft regulations.

The main change is that carbon monoxide alarms will now be required where there is any fitted combustion appliance other than a gas cooker. Gas and oil fired boilers and gas fires, which did not previously need to have a CO alarm, will now need one. Alarms can be battery operated and do not need to be wired in.

Additionally, there is a new provision requiring landlords to repair or replace a non-working smoke or carbon monoxide alarm as soon as reasonably practicable if a tenant reports it as not working.

Any tenancy that is new from 1 October 2022 will need to comply with the new requirements, but they will not apply to statutory periodic tenancies arising from an existing tenancy that started before that date or to renewals where the landlord and tenant identities and the tenancy terms are essentially the same. 

Enforcement remains the council serving a Remedial Notice and then issuing a penalty of up to £5,000 if that is not complied with.