If you’re renting in Queensland, it’s important to know about your responsibilities for smoke alarms to keep your home safe and follow the law. At DC Smoke, we’re here to help you understand the new smoke alarm rules for 2022 in Queensland and give you tips on how to take care of your smoke alarms.
Starting January 1, 2022, all rental homes in Queensland must have connected smoke alarms that use photoelectric technology and meet the AS 3786-2014 standards. You need these alarms in every bedroom, near any rooms connected by hallways, and on every floor without a bedroom. Make sure your home meets these rules by the first time you renew your lease after January 1, 2022, or before any new lease starts.
It's important to check and clean your smoke alarms regularly to make sure they work when you need them. Here's what you should do:
Press the “test” button on your smoke alarms as the instructions say, at least once a year. Clean them based on the instructions, usually by using a vacuum to get rid of dust.
Change old batteries right away to keep your alarms working all the time.
If there’s an issue with your smoke alarms that’s not about the batteries, tell your property manager or landlord immediately.
Let your property manager or landlord into your home to install or fix smoke alarms.
To keep your smoke alarms working well, make sure not to:
Don’t remove or mess with smoke alarms
Never take down a smoke alarm or its battery, unless you’re quickly changing the battery.
Don’t block smoke alarms
Avoid putting paint or anything else that could block the smoke alarm and stop it from working properly.
Sometimes you can fix a smoke alarm issue yourself:
Clean it: Often, cleaning out dust can fix small problems like false alarms.
Reset it: Use the reset button on your smoke alarm to fix errors.
Get help: If the problem doesn’t go away, contact your property manager for help.
Your landlord must check each smoke alarm within 30 days before you start your lease to make sure everything works. After you move in, you need to test the alarms every 12 months. If your lease renews or extends, the landlord checks the alarms again. If there are any problems with following the law, you can ask for help through the Tribunal under the RTRA Act. You might be able to get orders for fixes, money back, or direct the payment of rent to the Tribunal until the issue is fixed.
At DC Smoke, our goal is to give you the information you need to manage your smoke alarm duties. Keeping up with these tasks not only follows the smoke alarm rules for 2022 in Queensland but also greatly increases the safety of your home.
If you need more information or help, feel free to contact us or talk to your property manager. Remember, a well-kept smoke alarm system is key to safety for you and everyone around you.
