What this topic is
- Landlords in England must fit at least one smoke alarm on every storey of a rental property that is used as living accommodation.
- A carbon monoxide alarm must be fitted in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers.
- Alarms must be checked and proven to be in working order on the first day of every new tenancy. Repairs or replacements must be carried out as soon as reasonably practicable once a fault is reported.
Why it matters to landlords, letting agents and homeowners
- Local authorities can serve remedial notices and issue financial penalties of up to £5,000 for breaches.
- Working alarms save lives. Failure to test on day one of a tenancy is a common avoidable breach.
- Carbon monoxide and fire are both recognised HHSRS hazard categories.
How it connects to property safety and compliance
- Alarms back up the annual Gas Safety Record and the EICR by alerting occupants to live problems.
- Tenants should be shown how to test alarms and how to report faults.
- Records of tests, replacements and tenant communication strengthen the evidence trail.
How Sunderland Landlord Compliance can help
- Provide a place to record alarm check evidence against each property within the compliance tracker.
- Coordinate gas and electrical visits where wider checks are needed at the same time.
Relevant SLC services and pages
Official sources
General awareness only
This page is published for general awareness and education. It is not legal advice and does not replace formal advice from a solicitor, surveyor or your local authority. Sunderland Landlord Compliance is a compliance coordination service and does not act as a legal adviser, local authority, enforcement body, surveyor, solicitor or housing inspector. SLC does not guarantee compliance.