14 December 2021

Smoke Detectors in Your Rental Home – A Tenants Guide

As a tenant, you might well be aware that by law, your landlord must provide smoke detectors in your rental home. You might not be aware, however, that it is a dual responsibility to ensure that they remain in working order.

As a tenant, it is your responsibility to ensure that you test your alarm on a monthly basis. If you’re not sure how to do this, follow this guide for battery-operated smoke detectors.

How to Test Your Smoke Detector

1. Press and hold the test button on the smoke detector.
2. You should then hear a loud, ear-piercing siren, which might take a few seconds to kick in.
3. If you don’t hear anything, then the batteries need changing, and it is the tenant’s responsibility to replace the batteries.
4. If a sound is heard, but it’s very weak, the batteries should also be changed.

Whilst the large majority of smoke detectors are battery-operated, some do run on mains. These smoke detectors are tested in the same way, but if no siren begins or only a weak sound is emitted, your landlord or letting agent should be contacted immediately to ensure the detector remains in working order.

If you have any concerns or questions about smoke alarms in your home, don’t hesitate to contact us >>

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