28 Oct Smoke detectors

You’re twice as likely to die in a home fire if you don’t have a working smoke detectors

Under Clause 146A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, and Division 7A of Part 9 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000, smoke alarms are required in all buildings in NSW where people sleep. The smoke alarms must meet the requirements of Australian Standard AS 3786, Smoke alarms. These provisions came into effect on 1 May 2006.

Homeowners

Smoke detectors must be placed in hallways near bedrooms. If bedrooms are in different parts of the house, you must have smoke detectors installed in each of these locations. If there are no hallways associated with the bedrooms smoke detectors must be installed between the part of the home containing the bedroom and the rest of the house. You must have smoke detectors on all levels of your home even if there are no bedrooms located on that level. This includes owner occupied homes, rental properties, relocatable homes, caravans and camper-vans or any other residential building where people sleep.

Tenants

• Your landlord is responsible for ensuring at least one working smoke detectors installed on every level of your home.
• Your landlord is responsible for the installation of smoke alarms in rented premises.
• Landlords have the right of access to rented premises to fit smoke alarms.
• After the tenancy begins, the tenant is responsible for replacing the battery if needed in battery-operated smoke alarms
• Hard-wired smoke alarm back-up batteries are to be replaced by the landlord.
• If the tenant is physically unable to change the battery the tenant is required to notify the landlord as soon as practicable.

Landlords

• The landlord is not permitted to remove or interfere with the operation of any smoke detectors fitted in the rented premises.
• The landlord must put a new battery in at the commencement of a tenancy.
• After the tenancy begins, the tenant is responsible for replacing the battery if needed.
• If the tenant is physically unable to change the battery the tenant is required to notify the landlord.
• The tenant is not responsible for the replacement of batteries in ‘hard-wired’ smoke alarm systems that have battery back-up.
• Owners of residential properties who rent out their premises as holiday accommodation are responsible for installing smoke detectors and replacing batteries.
• Other laws apply to boarding houses and backpackers.

AS 3786-Smoke detectors must be ceiling mounted and not wall mounted.

Advises that smoke detectors are required for all buildings where people sleep. It is recommended that an Electrician be consulted to seek advice on these detectors.

For your building, pest, strata, asbestos, mould, ventilation, drainage, safe house inspection requirements call Sarah at East Coast Building Inspections 0422 081 023 servicing Wollongong – Illawarra, Shellharbour, Albion Park,  Kiama, Gerringong, Berry, Nowra – Shoalhaven, Ulladulla up to the Southern Highlands & all areas in between.