DIY InventoryGeneral information for England as at October 2026, not legal advice. Rules differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (summarised below); check gov.uk or a qualified adviser for your situation.
In England, landlords must fit at least one smoke alarm on every storey of a rented home that has living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a fixed combustion appliance (gas cookers excepted). The alarms must be working on the first day of each new tenancy, and you must repair or replace one once you are told it’s faulty. These rules have applied since 1 October 2022.
Smoke alarm rules for landlords in England
The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, as amended in 2022, apply to most private and social tenancies. They require:
- A smoke alarm on every storey used wholly or partly as living accommodation. A bathroom or toilet counts as living accommodation, so a floor with only a bathroom still needs one.
- A check on day one: every alarm must be working on the day a new tenancy starts. Press the test button and record that you did.
- Repairs once reported: if a tenant tells you an alarm isn’t working, you must repair or replace it as soon as reasonably practicable.
The law doesn’t say which type of alarm you must use. Battery alarms (ideally sealed 10-year units) are allowed in England, but mains-wired or interlinked alarms give better protection. Fit smoke alarms on the ceiling of a hallway or landing, away from kitchens and bathrooms where steam and cooking cause false alarms.
Carbon monoxide alarm rules
A carbon monoxide (CO) alarm is required in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance. That includes:
- Gas, oil or LPG boilers, wherever they are.
- Wood burners, open fires and multi-fuel stoves.
- Gas fires and fixed gas heaters.
Gas cookers are excluded, though fitting a CO alarm in the kitchen is still sensible. If a boiler is in a cupboard off a room, many landlords fit the alarm in that room near the cupboard. Fit CO alarms at head height, around 1 to 3 metres from the appliance, following the maker’s instructions.
Which properties are covered?
Most assured and periodic tenancies in England, private and social, are covered. Some lettings are excluded from these particular regulations, for example lodgers living with their landlord, long leases, student halls and care homes. Licensed HMOs have alarm conditions in their licence and fire safety duties of their own (see our HMO inventory guide). The government’s explanatory booklet for landlords lists the details.
What happens if a landlord doesn’t comply?
The council can serve a remedial notice. If you don’t comply within 28 days, the council can fit the alarms itself, recover the cost, and charge a civil penalty of up to £5,000.
Who tests the alarms during a tenancy?
The legal check is on the first day of each tenancy. After that, tenants are usually asked to test alarms regularly (monthly is common advice) and to report faults straight away. Write this into your move-in information and remind tenants at each inspection. Check them yourself at every mid-tenancy inspection.
Since 1 May 2026 most tenancies in England run on a periodic basis under the Renters’ Rights Act, so a home may go years without a “new tenancy” check. Regular inspections matter more than they did.
How to record alarms in your inventory
A dated photo of each alarm, with a note that it was tested and worked, is simple proof that you met the day-one duty. In a DIY Inventory report the alarms have their own step, with a photo of each one and the date and time burned into the picture, and the tenant signs the report on screen. Our free inventory template also has an alarms section if you prefer paper. Record:
- Where each smoke, heat and CO alarm is (for example “landing ceiling, first floor”).
- Whether it is battery or mains, and any expiry date on the back.
- That you pressed the test button and it sounded.
- That the tenant was shown how to test it.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
| Nation | Smoke and heat alarms | Carbon monoxide alarms |
|---|---|---|
| England | One smoke alarm on every storey with living accommodation; any type | Rooms with a fixed combustion appliance, except gas cookers |
| Wales | Since 1 December 2022 (Renting Homes Act): mains-powered, interlinked smoke alarms on every storey | Rooms with a gas, oil or solid fuel appliance |
| Scotland | Since 1 February 2022, every home: interlinked smoke alarms in the main living room and every hallway and landing, and a heat alarm in the kitchen | Where there is a carbon-fuelled appliance or flue |
| Northern Ireland | Private tenancies since 1 December 2024 (new tenancies from 1 September 2024): smoke alarms in the living room and every circulation space on each storey, and a heat alarm in the kitchen | Rooms with a fixed combustion appliance or flue |
Scotland’s interlinked rule means that when one alarm goes off, they all do. Sealed battery alarms that link by radio are allowed there, as well as mains-wired ones.
Questions
Do landlords have to provide smoke alarms?
Yes. In England landlords must fit at least one smoke alarm on every storey with living accommodation and check they work on the first day of each new tenancy.
Where does a carbon monoxide alarm need to be in a rented property?
In every room used as living accommodation with a fixed combustion appliance, such as a boiler, gas fire or wood burner. Gas cookers are excluded in England.
Do smoke alarms need to be hard-wired or interlinked in England?
No, battery alarms are allowed in England, though sealed 10-year or interlinked alarms are better. Wales and Scotland do require interlinked alarms.
What is the fine for not having smoke alarms in a rental?
If a landlord ignores a council’s remedial notice, the council can charge a civil penalty of up to £5,000 and fit the alarms at the landlord’s cost.
Who is responsible for testing smoke alarms during a tenancy?
The landlord must check them on the first day of a tenancy and fix faults once told. After that tenants are usually asked to test them regularly and report problems.
Updated 27 October 2026