A smoke alarm buys you the minutes you need to get out — especially at night, when everyone is asleep. For landlords, working alarms are also the law. We fit mains-powered, interlinked smoke and heat alarms, and test every one before we leave.
The rules for landlords
Since 1 October 2022, private and social landlords in England must:
- fit a smoke alarm on each storey of the home that has living accommodation;
- fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, such as a gas boiler or a wood-burning stove — gas cookers are the exception;
- check the alarms are working on the first day of each new tenancy;
- repair or replace an alarm promptly once they're told it's faulty.
These duties come from the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, and councils can impose a penalty of up to £5,000 for breaches. Need a carbon monoxide alarm as well? Ask us about it when you call. If you run an HMO, check your licence conditions too.
Why mains-powered, interlinked alarms?
- No batteries to forget. Mains-powered alarms run from the electrical supply, with a backup battery for power cuts, so they don't depend on tenants remembering to change batteries.
- Heard everywhere. Interlinked alarms talk to each other: when one sounds, they all sound, so a fire in the kitchen wakes someone asleep upstairs.
- The right detector in the right place. Heat alarms for kitchens, where cooking fumes would set off a smoke alarm; smoke alarms for hallways, landings and living areas.
- Fewer false alarms. Positioned away from steam and cooking, alarms are less likely to be disconnected by frustrated occupants.
Smoke, heat or carbon monoxide?
- Smoke alarms react to smoke, so they give an early warning of most fires. They belong on escape routes such as hallways and landings, and in living areas.
- Heat alarms react to a rise in temperature. They won't go off for burnt toast, which makes them right for kitchens — but they aren't a substitute for smoke alarms on escape routes.
- Carbon monoxide alarms detect the poisonous gas that faulty fuel-burning appliances can produce. They don't detect fire.
Where the alarms go
The rules set the minimum: a smoke alarm on every storey with living accommodation. In practice, most homes are better protected with a smoke alarm in the hallway or landing on each floor, a heat alarm in the kitchen, and extra alarms where someone sleeps far from the stairs or a room is a particular risk. Alarms go on the ceiling, away from bathroom doors and cooking. We'll recommend a layout that suits your home — and your fire risk assessment, if you have one.
Common problems with existing alarms
- batteries taken out after too many false alarms;
- alarms past the replace-by date printed on them;
- a single alarm for a home on two or three floors;
- a smoke alarm in the kitchen that sounds every time someone cooks;
- alarms that aren't interlinked, so one on the top floor can't be heard downstairs.
What we do, step by step
- Tell us about the property — the number of storeys and rooms, where the kitchen is, any fuel-burning appliances, and any alarms already fitted.
- A fixed quote before anything is booked.
- Plan the layout. Where each alarm goes and how the cables will run — hidden where the building allows, or in neat surface trunking where it doesn't. We agree this with you before we start.
- Install. The circuit we're working on is switched off for part of the visit, and we tell whoever is at home first.
- Test. Every alarm, and the interlink between them, so one alarm really does set them all off.
- Show you how they work — how to test and silence the alarms, which is worth passing on to tenants.
- Certify the work. You receive a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate where the alarms connect to an existing circuit, or an Electrical Installation Certificate where a new circuit is installed.
Building Regulations
If your alarms need a new circuit, that's notifiable building work. We notify Building Control before the work starts, and the notification is included in your quote.
For landlords: staying on the right side of the rules
- Test on day one. Check every alarm on the first day of each new tenancy, and keep a record — a note signed at check-in, or a dated photo.
- Act on reports. If a tenant tells you an alarm is faulty, repair or replace it promptly.
- Replace old alarms. Alarms don't last for ever, so check the replace-by date printed on each one.
- Book it with your EICR. Fitting alarms at the same visit as your landlord EICR means one appointment and less disruption for your tenants. HMO landlords can do the same with an HMO EICR, and add emergency lighting testing if the house has it.
What to tell your tenants
Show tenants how to test the alarms and silence a false alarm, and explain what the low-battery chirp sounds like. Ask them never to cover an alarm or take it down, and to tell you straight away if one stops working. A short note in your welcome pack covers it — and gives you a record that you explained it.
Our landlord's guide to EICRs covers the rest of your electrical safety duties.
Homeowners too
You don't need to be a landlord to benefit. If your home relies on a single battery alarm in the hallway — or one that chirps and gets its battery taken out — mains-powered, interlinked alarms are a simple upgrade that protects the whole household.
What affects the price
- the number of alarms and storeys;
- whether they connect to an existing circuit or need a new one;
- how the cables can be routed — ceiling voids, solid ceilings or period features;
- whether old alarms need taking down.
You get a fixed quote before anything is booked, and you don't have to accept it.
Why book with us
- Mains-powered, interlinked alarms, tested before we leave.
- The right certificate for the work.
- Easy to combine with your EICR, in one visit.
- Access arranged with your tenants or agent.
- Insured — £5m public liability insurance.
- London-wide — all 32 London boroughs and the City of London.
- Nothing booked until we call to confirm the details.
Request a quote
Request a quote — tell us about the property and any alarms already there, and we'll call to confirm a fixed price and a date. Or call us on 07301 010244.