Smoke Alarms: What Every Landlord Should Know
As a landlord, there are many laws, rules and regulations that you must keep in mind. In fact, the vast number of small but important things that must be considered is one of the biggest reasons to hire a property management Brisbane firm. Before getting too heavily involved in Brisbane real estate, though, it helps to familiarise yourself with some of the most important facts. In Queensland, there are many laws regarding smoke alarms; read on below to learn more.
Smoke Alarms and the Law
The Fire and Rescue Service Act 1990 mandates that every home and unit in Queensland be fitted with smoke alarms. The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, or QFRS, pushed for this law in order to cut back the number of fire-related tragedies that happen each and every year in Queensland. As you can easily surmise, then, every investment property that you own must have a smoke alarm.
The law doesn’t end there, though, especially when it comes to rental properties. In fact, the same act mandates that landlords must clean and test all smoke alarms in a property at the beginning or renewal of every lease. They must also replace the batteries at that time. When a rental property is occupied by a tenant, the tenant is responsible for cleaning and testing their smoke alarms; they must also replace the batteries in their smoke alarms as needed. It is important to remind tenants of this fact when they are about to sign a lease with you.
Additional Information
There is another important law that concerns smoke alarms and rental properties. The Residential Tenancies and Rooming Act 2008 made a provision that allows lessors to enter a premises in order to install or maintain its smoke alarms. However, landlords must give tenants at least 24-hour entry notice before doing so. It is hoped that between these various laws and regulations, a higher proportion of rental properties will maintain functioning smoke alarms; in turn, the number of tragedies and other problems will, hopefully, go down.
At the end of the day, it is in everyone’s best interest to keep the smoke alarms on a rental property in good working order. As a landlord, it behooves you to maintain your rental properties; if they burn to the ground, your profits are going to go up in smoke. At the same time, tenants naturally want to live in a safe and hazard-free environment. Nobody wants anyone else getting hurt or killed in a fire, and smoke alarms go a very long way towards eliminating such a possibility. Installing and maintaining a smoke alarm is quite easy; replacing its batteries on a regular basis is, too. Ultimately, it’s well worth it.