First National Cairns Central Column: Smoke alarm compliance. Why you should get yours checked ASAP
I was recently informed at an industry function, that if everyone still needing smoke alarms compliant with the new legislation ordered them today, there will not be enough tradesmen to install them all before the cut-off date! David Forrest of First National Cairns Central talks smoke alarms and the importance of getting yours checked asap.
The new legislation introduced in 2017 gives you until January 1, 2022 to have the new smoke alarms installed. This seems like plenty of time but when you consider there is about 19,500 private rental properties in the Cairns region, it may not be.
Some landlords are planning ahead and have already upgraded to the new requirements which are:
- Smoke alarms must be installed in every bedroom & hallways that connect bedrooms of a home
- All smoke alarms must be powered by either 240 vol t or 10-year lithium battery
- All smoke alarms must be interconnected to each other
- All smoke alarms must be photoelectric rather than ionisation
- All smoke alarms must meet new Australian Standard 3786:2014
The new legislation is set out in the Fire and Emergency Services (Domestic Smoke Alarms) Amendment Act 2016 and Building Fire Safety (Domestic Smoke Alarms) Legislation Amendment Regulations 2016, the legislation is in place so that Queensland landlords ensure a higher level of safety in their rental properties.
We recommend you contact your property manager sooner rather than later. Do not leave this until the last minute as there will be an inevitable last-minute rush and most likely a delay. Properties will not be able to be relet after the cut-off date if not compliant with the new laws.
MORE: Click here to find out more about David and the First National Cairns Central Team
