Smoke alarms are one of the few compliance items that must be checked before every new or renewed lease in Queensland. With the rules extending to all homes on 1 January 2027, it’s a good time to make sure your rental is right. Here’s what the law requires, who is responsible for what, and a simple checklist.
What a compliant smoke alarm looks like
Queensland rental properties must have interconnected, photoelectric smoke alarms. Under the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008, each alarm must:
- Comply with AS 3786-2014, the Australian Standard for smoke alarms
- Contain a photoelectric sensor, and not also contain an ionisation sensor
- Be powered by hardwiring or a built-in 10-year battery. The regulation allows either hardwiring to the home’s electricity supply or a battery that can’t be removed and is made to last at least 10 years. The RTA notes that hardwired alarms with a user-replaceable 9V backup battery are listed as compliant
Under the Fire Services Act 1990, the alarms must also be interconnected, so that when one sounds they all sound, and each alarm must have been manufactured less than 10 years before it’s installed. Every alarm must then be replaced within 10 years of its manufacture date, or straight away if it doesn’t work when tested.
Where the alarms go
The Queensland Government’s guide to buying and installing smoke alarms lists three locations:
- In every bedroom
- In hallways that connect bedrooms to the rest of the home
- On each level of the home
On a level with no bedrooms, the regulation places the alarm on the most likely path to an exit. It also sets rules on mounting, such as keeping alarms away from light fittings, air conditioning vents and ceiling fans, and the Queensland Government notes that a licensed electrician is needed if installation involves electrical work.
When the rules apply
For rentals, the requirements have applied since 1 January 2022. The Fire Services Act triggers them when a new tenancy starts or an existing tenancy is renewed after 31 December 2021, and the QBCC puts it simply: tenants should have these alarms from the start of the first new lease.
From 1 January 2027, the same requirements apply to all homes in Queensland. Most rentals will already comply. A property that has had no new or renewed lease since 2021, such as one with a long-running periodic tenancy, is worth checking now.
The owner’s duties before each lease
Within 30 days before a tenancy starts or is renewed, the owner or property manager must:
- Test each smoke alarm
- Replace any flat or nearly flat batteries
- Clean each alarm as the manufacturer’s instructions describe
These obligations can’t be passed on to the tenant. If work is needed during a tenancy to install, maintain, test or replace a smoke alarm, the tenant must be given an entry notice at least 48 hours before the work.
The tenant’s duties during the tenancy
Once the tenancy is under way, tenants are responsible for testing and cleaning the alarms at least once every 12 months and replacing flat or nearly flat batteries. Tenants should tell the property manager or owner about any problem with an alarm, and repairs to an alarm that isn’t working may be treated as emergency repairs. Nobody, owner or tenant, may remove an alarm or do anything that reduces its effectiveness.
What this means for owners
A short checklist for your rental:
- Check that every bedroom, connecting hallway and level has an alarm
- Confirm each alarm is photoelectric, marked AS 3786-2014 and interconnected with the others
- Check the manufacture date on each alarm and plan replacements before they reach 10 years
- Keep records of the pre-lease test, clean and battery check for each new or renewed lease
- Allow time before a lease renewal to book any upgrade work, with proper entry notice if the home is tenanted
How Barker West handles it
Smoke alarm compliance is included in our property management. We discuss lease renewals at least 90 days before expiry, one of the 10 key commitments in the Barker West Standard, which leaves time to arrange the pre-lease check and any upgrades. Read the Barker West Standard. If you’re moving your property from another agency, our switching process includes collecting and reviewing compliance records at handover.
Not sure your rental is ready? Talk to us or request a free rental appraisal.
This article is general information only and is not legal, financial or tax advice. Rules change, so check the RTA or talk to us about your property.