New regulations requiring landlords to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in their rental properties have been laid before Parliament and are expected to come into force, subject to approval, on 10 October 2015.
Under the new legislation, landlords will be required to install smoke alarms on every floor of the rental property and test them at the start of every tenancy. Carbon monoxide alarms must also be installed in all high risk rooms – such as those where a solid fuel heating system is installed. Landlords failing to meet the new regulations could face a civil penalty of up to £5,000.
The government has announced a £3 million boost to support the delivery of working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to privately-rented homes across the country. The funding will provide around 445,000 smoke and 40,000 carbon monoxide alarms, which will be free from fire and rescue authorities to private sector landlords whose properties currently do not have alarms.
