Homeowners, landlords and property managers/letting agents are being urged to check that any smoke alarms comply with the law after a landlord was charged, and fined, over a fatal house fire.

Despite the current smoke alarm regulations being in place for some time, many investor owners and property managers are unclear about their obligations and responsibilities.

The legislation, first introduced in 2017, requires all residential property owners to replace existing smoke alarms and install interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms. If you are an owner occupier this needs to be done by 1 January 2027. However, these laws already apply to all new homes and renovations and all properties being leased and sold in Queensland.

In addition, within 30 days before the start of a tenancy, the landlord/letting agent must test and clean each smoke alarm.

This is a timely reminder to take the opportunity to ensure that all of the units in your rental pool are safe and comply with smoke alarm rules (in addition to the minimum housing standards that were introduced last year).

Written by Brenden Eames

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