Landlord guide · England
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: the rules for landlords
Private landlords in England must have at least one smoke alarm on every storey with a room used as living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a fixed combustion appliance (except gas cookers). Check they work on the day a tenancy starts, and repair or replace them once told they are faulty.
Checked against official guidance on . General information for England, not legal advice.
Smoke alarms
At least one on each storey that has a room used as living accommodation. Guidance suggests the ceiling of a hall or landing.
Carbon monoxide alarms
One in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance — gas or oil boilers, wood-burning stoves and open fires, for example. Gas cookers are excluded.
At the start of a tenancy
Every required alarm must be in working order on the day the tenancy begins.
Faulty alarms
Once a tenant tells you an alarm is faulty, you must repair or replace it. Tenants are encouraged to try new batteries first, but the alarm itself is the landlord’s responsibility.
Penalties
Councils can fine a landlord up to £5,000 for failing to comply with a remedial notice.
Sources
Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you are not sure how they apply to your property, ask your council’s private housing team or a solicitor.
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