Private housing smoke regulations

On 1 October 2022, the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 came into force, amending the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015.

Importance of smoke alarms

Smoke inhalation is the most common cause of death in house fires. Fires starting in homes without working smoke detectors are twice as likely to result in fatalities. Working smoke detectors will reduce the length of time taken for a fire to be discovered and therefore increase the likelihood of escape.

Landlords have a legal duty to ensure that there is a working smoke alarm on each storey of a premises where one or more rooms are used as living accommodation. Checks must be made by the landlord, or on behalf of the landlord, to ensure that the alarms are working at the beginning of each new tenancy.

Carbon monoxide alarms requirements

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless gas which can kill quickly with minimal prior symptoms by reducing the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. The Fire Service advise that approximately 50 people die every year in the UK from CO poisoning as a result of poorly installed or maintained fuel burning appliances.

Landlords have a legal duty to install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room of the premises which is used as living accommodation and contains a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers). This includes but is not limited to: gas boilers, coal fires, wood fires, wood burning stoves, pellet boilers and biomass boilers.

Checks must be made by the landlord, or on behalf of the landlord, to ensure that the alarms are working at the beginning of each new tenancy.

Oxford City Council's enforcement role

If we believe a landlord has not supplied a working smoke alarm on each storey of living accommodation, and/or has not supplied a carbon monoxide alarm where necessary, we have a duty to serve a remedial notice under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015.

Further information and guidance

For more details on these regulations, visit the GOV.UK website.