Fire and carbon monoxide alarms: what every tenant should know
Fire and carbon monoxide are among the most serious safety risks in any home. For private renters in England, the law is specific about what alarms your property must have, who's responsible for installing them, and what you need to do during your tenancy to keep them working. Knowing your rights, and your own part in this, is the most practical way to stay safe.

What alarms your home must have

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 set out the current requirements for private rented properties in England, applying to all tenancies from 1 October 2022.

Your landlord must install at least one smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation. If your home has a ground floor used for living and sleeping, a first floor with bedrooms, and a loft conversion, each of those levels needs its own smoke alarm. A storey used purely for storage doesn't count as living accommodation for this purpose.

A carbon monoxide alarm is required in every room with a fixed combustion appliance. This covers gas boilers, gas fires, wood-burning stoves, open fireplaces, and oil-fired appliances. The 2022 regulations widened this requirement to include gas boilers, which weren't covered under the original 2015 rules. Gas cookers are specifically excluded. A fireplace that's purely decorative and has been permanently sealed doesn't require a carbon monoxide alarm.

What your landlord must do before you move in

Before your tenancy begins, your landlord must test every alarm in the property to confirm it's in working order. This is a legal obligation, not a courtesy, and it should be done on the first day of the tenancy. If it hasn't been, raise it in writing straight away.

The government's guidance is clear that this check applies at the start of every new tenancy, including when the same tenant renews, or moves between properties under the same landlord.

What you're responsible for during the tenancy

Once the tenancy is underway, testing your alarms day to day becomes your responsibility. Most manufacturers recommend doing this at least once a month, typically by pressing and holding the test button until the alarm sounds.

If a battery-powered alarm's battery runs low, replacing it generally falls to you as part of looking after the property. If you're unsure, check your tenancy agreement or ask your landlord.

If an alarm is missing, faulty, or not working

If you find an alarm missing from a storey where one should be, or one that still doesn't work after fresh batteries, report it to your landlord in writing as soon as possible. Once they've been notified, responsibility for repairing or replacing the alarm sits with them. Keep a copy of your report.

If your landlord doesn't act within a reasonable time, you can report the matter to your local council. Councils have the power to serve a remedial notice requiring landlords to put things right within 28 days.

If an alarm sounds

If a smoke alarm goes off, treat it as real unless you're certain it's been triggered by cooking or steam. Leave the property, close doors behind you, and call 999. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, leave immediately, don't go back in, and call the Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

Questions about your home? Talk to our lettings team today.