The regulations require smoke alarms on storeys used as living accommodation and CO alarms in living accommodation containing a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers. Faulty alarms must be repaired or replaced as soon as reasonably practicable once the problem is established.
Make a location schedule
Record each storey, room, relevant appliance and alarm location. Check the English requirements and any additional HMO or building conditions.
- Check smoke alarms on each storey used as living accommodation. Identify rooms with fixed combustion appliances that require CO coverage, noting the gas-cooker exception in the official rules.
- Follow manufacturer instructions on positioning, power, testing and replacement. A unit placed in a drawer is not installed protection.
- Ask a competent person to review unusual layouts, converted flats or linked systems. Do not assume the minimum private-rental rules fully describe a building's fire precautions.
Check at the start and after a report
Keep a practical testing record rather than only purchase receipts.
- Test the required alarms on the first day of a new tenancy and record the result, date and tester. Replace or repair failed equipment.
- Give the tenant instructions for ordinary testing and for reporting a fault. Explain the difference between a low-battery warning and an emergency alarm.
- Act on a reported defective alarm promptly. Establish whether an immediate replacement or other interim protection is needed.
Review changes and expiry
Alarm needs can change when appliances or layouts change.
- Recheck coverage after installing a stove, boiler or other relevant appliance, or after subdividing a room.
- Record manufacturer replacement dates and any units that cannot be tested or identified. Plan replacement before expiry.
- Keep alarm work linked to wider fire and gas records. An alarm does not make an unsafe appliance or obstructed escape route acceptable.
Example: a new stove is installed
A fictional landlord installs a solid-fuel stove in a room that previously had no combustion appliance. Check the installation and required CO alarm arrangement before the room is used. The existing smoke alarm on the landing does not answer that question.
What to do
- Record alarm positions and appliance types.
- Test at the start of the tenancy and keep the result.
- Act promptly on reported faults and record the replacement.
Evidence to keep
- Alarm and appliance schedule
- Test date, result and fault-resolution record
Sources and guidance
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm guidanceUK Government · checked 20 October 2026