In short
In NSW every home where people sleep must have at least one working smoke alarm on each level, a law in force since 1 May 2006. In rentals, the landlord must check smoke alarms every year, repair or replace a faulty one within two business days, replace alarms within 10 years of manufacture, and use a licensed electrician for hard-wired alarms.
If you would rather have it checked, Ambient Electrical offers smoke alarm installation in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.
The law for every home
The Building Legislation Amendment (Smoke Alarms) Act 2005 and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Smoke Alarms) Regulation 2006 started on 1 May 2006. They require at least one working smoke alarm on each level of every building in NSW where people sleep, including houses, terraces, townhouses, apartments and units, and caravans and relocatable homes.
Smoke alarms must meet Australian Standard AS 3786. The law sets a minimum; Fire and Rescue NSW recommends considering more protection than that.
| Topic | Legal minimum in NSW | Fire and Rescue NSW recommends |
|---|---|---|
| Where | At least one working smoke alarm on every level of a home where people sleep, in hallways near the bedrooms | Alarms in every bedroom and living space, including hallways and stairways, and even the garage |
| Type | Must meet Australian Standard AS 3786 | Hard-wired and interconnected wherever possible; otherwise alarms with 10-year lithium batteries |
| Testing | In rentals, the landlord checks the alarms every year | Press the test button every month, and vacuum the alarm every six months |
| Batteries | In rentals, removable batteries are replaced every year (lithium: as the maker specifies) | Replace a replaceable battery once a year |
| Replacing the alarm | In rentals, within 10 years of manufacture, or earlier if the maker specifies | Replace every smoke alarm at least every 10 years |
| Who installs | Hard-wired alarms must be installed by a licensed electrician | The same: a licensed electrician for hard-wired alarms |
Source: Fire and Rescue NSW: Smoke alarms, what is the law?; Fire and Rescue NSW: Smoke alarm buyers guide; Fire and Rescue NSW: Smoke alarm questions and answers; Fire and Rescue NSW: Smoke alarm installation guide; NSW Government: Smoke alarms in a rental property.
Rules for landlords and tenants
NSW rental law adds specific duties for landlords. These cannot be handed over to the tenant in the lease.
- At least one smoke alarm in each storey, in a hallway outside a bedroom or another suitable location
- Check smoke alarms every year to make sure they work
- Install or replace batteries every year, or for lithium batteries, in the period the manufacturer specifies
- Replace smoke alarms within 10 years of manufacture, or earlier if the manufacturer says so
- Repair or replace a smoke alarm within two business days of finding out it is not working
- Use a licensed electrician to repair or replace a hard-wired smoke alarm
Where smoke alarms should go
Placement matters as much as the number. Smoke alarms need to be where smoke will reach them, which depends on the layout, the ceiling and the rooms people sleep in.
Peter recommends an alarm outside each bedroom, and where a home has several alarms, having them interconnected so that one sounding sets off the rest. Fire and Rescue NSW recommends hard-wired, interconnected alarms wherever possible, and alarms inside bedrooms and along the path from sleeping areas to the exits as well as outside them. Photoelectric alarms generally give faster warning than ionisation types in most house fires.
If someone in the home is hard of hearing
Smoke alarms with a strobe light or a vibrating pad are available for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. They can be interconnected with the rest of the alarms in the home.
Why they matter
Most people assume they would smell smoke in time. Smoke alarms exist because that is not true, especially when you are asleep. Fires also produce carbon monoxide, which has no smell or colour and can cause unconsciousness.
Testing and replacement
- Press the test button on each alarm once a month
- Replace removable batteries every year, unless the alarm has a sealed lithium battery
- Replace the whole alarm within 10 years of manufacture; the date is on the back
An individual cannot rely on their senses to alert them in time, in the event of a fire. This is true even if they're awake and aware, and the problem is compounded if they're asleep.
Sources
- NSW Government: smoke alarms in a rental property
- NSW Planning: smoke alarms
- Fire and Rescue NSW: Smoke alarms, what is the law?
- Fire and Rescue NSW: Smoke alarm buyers guide
- Fire and Rescue NSW: Smoke alarm questions and answers
Ambient Electrical is an electrician in Randwick, Kensington and Coogee, and works across Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.
