The Queensland Government brought out new Smoke Alarm Legislation in January 2017. There are a number of rules that apply to different types of properties here is a quick overview…
Existing Property – Resident Home Owner from 1 Jan 2017
- Existing smoke alarms more than 10yrs old must be replaced immediately.
- Alarms that don’t operate when tested must be replaced immediately.
- Existing hard wired smoke alarms requiring replacement must be replaced with hard wired smoke alarms.
Existing Property – Resident Home Owner from 1 Jan 2027
- All smoke alarms must be photoelectric and less than 10yrs old.
- All smoke alarms must operate when tested and be interconnected with every other smoke alarm in the property.
- There must be a smoke alarm on each level of the property.
- There must be a smoke alarm in each bedroom and the hallways that connect the bedrooms to rest of the property.
- If there are no bedrooms on the level there must be at least one smoke alarm in the likely path of travel to exit.
- All smoke alarms must be hard wired or powered by non-removable 10yr battery.
Property being Sold, Leased or Existing Lease Renewed from 1 Jan 2017
- Existing smoke alarms more than 10yrs old must be replaced immediately.
- Alarms that don’t operate when tested must be replaced immediately.
- Existing hard wired smoke alarms requiring replacement must be replaced with hard wired smoke alarms.
Property being Sold, Leased or Existing Lease Renewed from 1 Jan 2022
- All smoke alarms must be photoelectric and less than 10yrs old.
- All smoke alarms must operate when tested and be interconnected with every other smoke alarm in the property.
- There must be a smoke alarm on each level of the property.
- There must be a smoke alarm in each bedroom and the hallways that connect the bedrooms to rest of the property.
- If there are no bedrooms on the level there must be at least one smoke alarm in the likely path of travel to exit.
- All smoke alarms must be hard wired or powered by non-removable 10yr battery.
New Build Properties and substantial renovations from 1 Jan 2017
(A substantial renovation is defined as work carried out under a building development approval and representing more than half of the volume of the existing building.)
- All smoke alarms must be photoelectric and less than 10yrs old.
- All smoke alarms must operate when tested and be interconnected with every other smoke alarm in the property.
- There must be a smoke alarm on each level of the property.
- There must be a smoke alarm in each bedroom and the hallways that connect the bedrooms to rest of the property.
- If there are no bedrooms on the level there must be at least one smoke alarm in the likely path of travel to exit.
- All smoke alarms must be hard wired or powered by non-removable 10yr battery.
There are also rules on specific smoke alarm placement but we can guide you on these requirements when we are onsite to determine the best placement for your unique property. For all the nitty gritty see the attached PDF file issued by the QLD Government.
You may not be required to make any changes to your property just yet but why wait until the last minute. Make the decision to keep your loved ones, guests or tenants safe by altering your smoke alarm installation to reflect the most up to date recommendations.
Contact us about your smoke alarm requirements.