Every home in Scotland must have interlinked fire alarms by February 2022.
Interlinked means if one goes off, they all go off, so you will always hear an alarm wherever you are in your home.
The new law has come about because of the Grenfell fire in London in 2017, and it applies to all Scottish homes.
It is the property owner’s responsibility for meeting the new standard.
What each home needs
By February 2022 every home must have:
one smoke alarm in the living room or the room you use most
one smoke alarm in every hallway or landing
one heat alarm in the kitchen
All smoke and heat alarms should be mounted on the ceiling and be interlinked.
If you have a carbon-fuelled appliance – like a boiler, fire, heater or flue – in any room, you must also have a carbon monoxide detector in that room, but this does not need to be linked to the fire alarms.
Help with costs
Older and disabled homeowners on low incomes can get help with costs (see below).
If you are a private tenant, your landlord is responsible.
If you are a council or housing association tenant, work is ongoing to make sure your home meets the new standards.
Two types of alarms
You can use either sealed battery alarms or mains-wired alarms.
Both types of alarm are interlinked by radio frequency and do not need WiFi.
What the alarms must have
If you use battery alarms, they must be sealed tamper-proof units and have long-life lithium batteries, which can be up to 10 years. You may be able to fit these types of alarms yourself and they do not need an electrician.
Mains-wired alarms are cheaper but if you use them, they must be fitted by a qualified electrician and must be replaced every 10 years. You may also need to redecorate after fitting them.
If you also need a carbon monoxide alarm and it is battery-operated, it must have a sealed battery for the duration of its lifespan.
Where and what to buy
There is no list of approved suppliers or fitters. You can buy both types of alarms online or in store from a number of retailers, and any qualified electrician can fit the mains-wired type.
You need to check that each alarm complies with the following standards:
- smoke alarms BS EN14604:2005
- heat alarms BS 5446-2:2003
- carbon monoxide detector British Kitemark EN 50291-1
In the process of buying or selling?
If you are moving before February 2022, we recommend you check the current owner has updated the alarms before you take ownership and get caught out.
If you are moving in Febuary 2022 then the previous owner should have already updated the alarms so they meet the legislation.
Further questions? Check further on the link below.
Fire and smoke alarms: changes to the law – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
