Did you know there were more than 5000 house fires in New South Wales in the past 12 months? That’s 15 house fires every day in NSW alone! Even more alarming is that house fires are the leading cause of preventable death in our great state, with well over 100 fire-related deaths per year. The good news is that, at the same time as the smoke alarm legislation NSW was recently updated, Fire and Rescue NSW reported that your risk of dying in a house fire drops by over 60% simply by having a single smoke alarm of any sort up and running at the time of the blaze, because:
- Half of all NSW house fires occur between 6 pm and 6 am
- Smoke inhalation, not fire itself, is the leading cause of death in house fires.
But the even better news is that, simply by giving Tradie Near Me’s unique network of smoke alarm specialists a try, you can get a fully-licensed electrician Sydney wide and beyond out to your place to ensure you’re fully up-to-date with the latest rules and smoke alarm tech wizardry. In this blog post, we’re going to take a deep dive into the latest smoke alarm legislation in force across New South Wales, relating to residential and rental properties and what owners, landlords and tenants need to know.
Smoke alarm legislation NSW – What you need to know
Powered by the most trusted and recommended electricians in Sydney, let’s get started with Tradie Near Me’s exclusive Q&A about the new smoke alarm legislation NSW:
Q: What is the very latest smoke alarm-related legislation in NSW?
That would be the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Smoke Alarms) Regulation 2022. The amendment came into force in March of that year, relating to just about any building that is sold, leased or rented.
Q: What is the most important part of that update?
There are new requirements for rental properties – specifically, it’s about ensuring that landlords have the responsibility to ensure that working smoke alarms are all compliant with the rules.
Q: What do the landlords need to ensure?
There needs to be at least one smoke alarm on every level of the property, in specific compliant locations that give the tenants the best possible chance of being alerted.
Not only that, multiple smoke alarms need to be interconnected, so that if one of them detects smoke, all of the others also call for the tenants’ attention. It’s also up to the landlord to maintain the smoke alarms and replace batteries when needed.
Q: Are there requirements for owner-occupied properties, too?
The same basic rules apply to owner-occupied properties, except that it’s the homeowner who is responsible for ensuring they’re always working.
Q: What about if I’m a tenant rather than an owner?
As outlined above, the landlord has the major responsibility pertaining to the latest smoke alarm legislation NSW, but tenants need to:
- Test the smoke alarms once a year
- Report malfunctioning smoke alarms to the landlord
- Refrain from removing or tampering with smoke alarms.
Simply the best electricians Sydney wide
Are you sure you’re up to date with the latest smoke alarm legislation across New South Wales? If you need a reliable, reviewed, vetted and recommended smoke alarm electrician Sydney wide to pay you a visit, look no further than Tradie Near Me – the seriously easy and free way to connect with the most skilled and keen sparkies all across our fabulous city and beyond. Just enter your details, hit ‘submit’, and help is on the way. Give Tradie Near Me a try today!
