Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Since 1 October 2015 private sector landlords have been required to have at least one smoke alarm installed on every storey of their properties and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance (for example, a coal fire, wood burning stove).

Landlords must also make sure the alarms are in working order at the start of each new tenancy.

Where properties are found to be missing detectors we serve a remedial notice on the landlord requiring them to be provided.

If a landlord ignores a remedial notice then we must do the works ourselves and may serve a penalty charge notice of up to £5,000.

The law requires that we publish a statement of reasons that will be followed when deciding the amount of a penalty charge. These reasons can be found within, The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 - Statement of Principles.

More information can be found in the Smoke and carbon monoxide: alarms explanatory booklet for landlords from GOV.UK.