Landlord Alarm Duties
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Rules for Landlords in England
In England, relevant landlords need smoke alarms on storeys with living accommodation and carbon monoxide alarms in living accommodation rooms containing fixed combustion appliances, excluding gas cookers, with checks at new tenancy starts and action on reported faults.
The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, as amended in 2022, set these duties. For London rentals, use the room checklist below to identify alarm requirements, plan handover checks and distinguish them from the separate landlord gas safety check.
Have your postcode, the gas appliances you provide and your current certificate's expiry date ready.
- Gas Safe registered: 648977
- Every landlord gas appliance checked
- Same-day appointments available
If a CO Alarm Sounds, Take Safety Action First
Treat a sounding carbon monoxide alarm as real: get outside into fresh air and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 from a safe place if gas is suspected.
Leave
if you smell gas, leave and call 0800 111 999. Avoid electrical switches and flames. Ventilate or isolate the supply only if safe, without delaying escape.
Get medical help
call NHS 111 for suspected carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms. Call 999 for serious symptoms, including breathing difficulty, sudden confusion, collapse or chest pain.
Stay outside
do not return until advised it is safe. Do not reset the alarm and wait indoors to see whether it sounds again.
The Alarm Rules at a Glance: Check Each Storey and Room
Smoke-alarm provision is assessed by storey; carbon monoxide alarm provision is assessed by room and appliance.
Regulation 4 sets the following baseline, subject to the scope and licensing qualifications below. A room used wholly or partly as living accommodation counts.
Bathrooms and lavatories count as living accommodation; halls and landings count as rooms. Walk through the property and record each qualifying location. One CO alarm somewhere in the property does not necessarily cover every required room.
Storey containing living accommodation
at least one smoke alarm is required on that storey. Check every qualifying floor.
Living accommodation room with a gas boiler
a CO alarm is required in that room because the boiler is a fixed combustion appliance.
Living accommodation room with a gas fire
a CO alarm is required in that room.
Living accommodation room with a fixed wood, coal or oil appliance
a CO alarm is required. The requirement extends beyond gas appliances.
Kitchen with only a gas cooker
the cooker alone does not trigger this CO-alarm requirement. The exception does not mean a cooker cannot produce carbon monoxide.
Kitchen containing both a gas cooker and a boiler
a CO alarm is required because the boiler triggers the duty.
Check Which Rules Apply to Your Rental
The amended rules cover relevant private and social rented homes in England, subject to statutory exclusions and the separate licensing route.
HMOs and Licensed Properties Need a Licence Check Too
Properties requiring a Part 2 or Part 3 licence have a separate route through licence conditions. The 2015 Regulations exclude these premises from their general premises definition while introducing alarm conditions through Schedule 4 of the Housing Act 2004.
The 2022 expansion of the mandatory CO condition applies to licences granted on or after 1 October 2022. Check:
- The actual licence and its alarm conditions.
- The date the licence was granted.
- Current council requirements for the property.
This separate route is not an exemption from providing alarms.
Before applying the checklist, establish:
- Tenancy: identify the rental and occupancy arrangement and whether it falls within the regulations.
- Shared accommodation: sharing accommodation with a resident landlord can fall within an exclusion. This does not remove other safety responsibilities.
- Licensing: establish whether the property requires a licence under Part 2 or Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004.
Position and Test Alarms Using Their Instructions
Use the alarm manufacturer’s instructions for positioning and testing each device.
Purpose
identify whether the device detects smoke, carbon monoxide or both.
Location
compare its position with the instructions for that model.
Replacement information
check the device markings and instructions for replacement requirements.
Testing
follow the stated test procedure and record the result.
The requirement to provide an alarm does not supply installation instructions for every model. Check:
Keep smoke and CO devices clearly identified in your records. Arrange competent assessment where an installation is inaccessible or uncertain. A response to the test button does not prove that the property is free of carbon monoxide.
Check Every Required Alarm on the Day a New Tenancy Starts
The landlord must arrange checks of every required alarm on the day a new tenancy begins.
Assign responsibility
name the landlord or representative carrying out the checks.
Identify devices
list each required alarm and its location.
Check operation
follow the instructions on the commencement day and record results.
Resolve failures
arrange necessary action and confirm working order.
Explain use
give tenants testing instructions and a clear route for reporting faults.
Under regulation 4, this is the day the tenant becomes entitled to possession under the tenancy. A convenient earlier visit does not replace that check. The statutory definition of a new tenancy has exclusions, so not every renewal triggers the same requirement.
Use a dated inventory entry, with tenant acknowledgement where practical. This is evidence, not a prescribed alarm certificate or mandatory tenant-signature form.
Blank record: Location: ____ / Alarm type: ____ / Check date: ____ / Result: ____ / Action: ____ / Checked by: ____
Act on a Reported Fault Without Waiting for the Next Visit
After a tenant or nominated representative reports a possible fault, the landlord must investigate and arrange any required repair or replacement as soon as reasonably practicable.
The Council’s Enforcement Process Is Separate From the Repair Duty
Council enforcement does not replace the landlord’s duty to respond to reported faults. The local housing authority can serve a remedial notice where it has reasonable grounds to believe duties have been breached, with further enforcement possible after non-compliance.
Read any notice for its requirements and applicable procedure. Its deadline is not permission to delay responding to a faulty alarm.
Keep these records:
- The original report and your response.
- Assessment findings and access arrangements.
- Repair or replacement details and evidence of working order.
- Any council notice and correspondence.
Regulation 4(3A) applies that timing to both assessment and necessary work. It does not set a universal number of hours. A warning of possible CO exposure requires the safety actions above first.
- Log the report: record the date, device location and reported problem.
- Arrange assessment: establish whether the alarm is working properly.
- Arrange access: agree access with the tenant and record arrangements.
- Complete action: arrange repair or replacement where required.
- Confirm resolution: retest, record the completed date and tell the tenant the outcome.
Do not defer this process to the next annual gas safety appointment.
A CP12 and an Alarm Check Meet Different Duties
A Landlord Gas Safety Record documents the gas safety check; noting an alarm’s position does not certify compliance with the alarm regulations.
The separate landlord gas safety duties under regulation 36 require annual checks of landlord-provided gas appliances and flues.
- Gas Safety Record: the CP12 records the gas inspection findings. Coverage includes landlord-provided boilers, cookers, hobs, gas fires and other gas appliances and flues.
- Alarm responsibilities: provide the required alarms, check working order at the start of a qualifying new tenancy and respond to reported faults.
The gas-cooker exception in the alarm rules does not remove the cooker’s gas safety check requirement. An earlier CP12 appointment also does not replace a later tenancy-start alarm check. Keep evidence of each duty separately identifiable.
Landlord gas safety certificates
Arrange the Separate Gas Safety Check for Your London Rental
If your London rental also needs its landlord gas safety check, arrange that visit alongside the alarm actions identified above.
All Service 4 U uses Gas Safe registered engineers; our business registration is 648977. Have the postcode, landlord-provided appliance list, existing deadline and tenant-access details ready.
Same-day gas safety check appointments are available. Our phone line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Call to arrange a landlord gas safety check: 020 3740 6785
Read about our landlord gas safety checks in London.
020 3740 6785
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Carbon Monoxide Alarm Mandatory in the UK?
The answer depends on the UK nation and property; this guide covers England’s rental rules. For relevant rentals in England, a CO alarm is required in living accommodation rooms containing fixed combustion appliances, excluding gas cookers. Check the separate rules for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland rather than applying England’s position throughout the UK.
How Many ppm of CO Is Unsafe?
Do not use a parts-per-million reading to decide it is safe to stay when an alarm sounds or exposure is suspected. Both concentration and exposure duration matter. Follow the safety actions above: get outside, seek medical advice through NHS 111 for suspected poisoning symptoms, and call 999 if symptoms are serious.
Do These Regulations Require Mains-Powered Alarms?
These regulations do not themselves prescribe battery power or mains power. The building, occupants and other applicable requirements must inform your choice. Check any relevant building requirements and licence conditions before selecting a device. A battery alarm should not be assumed to satisfy every requirement for every rental property.
Can a Heat Detector Replace a Required Smoke Alarm?
A heat detector does not replace a required smoke alarm. The devices respond to different signs of fire: heat detection does not fulfil the requirement for smoke detection. Assess any additional fire-detection provision separately, particularly where the property’s layout, occupancy or licence conditions require more than the baseline alarm provision.
Who Replaces Alarm Batteries During the Tenancy?
Tenants are advised to replace replaceable batteries when needed and report an alarm that still fails or a battery they cannot replace. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and do not open sealed units. The landlord remains responsible for arranging required repair or replacement of faulty alarms. Treat a CO warning as a potential exposure incident first.
Still have a question or need urgent assistance? Call 020 3740 6785, tell us what has happened and we will tell you what happens next.