Julieanne said: “Property managers have a duty of care to their landlords to ensure their landlords’ investment properties are compliant with all relevant compliance matters.
“Current smoke alarm legislation dictates it is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure their rental property meets current legislative obligations, and failure to comply with relevant federal or state based legislation may result in heavy financial penalties.
“It is therefore best practice to regularly remind landlords of their obligations and suggest a specialist company take care of their needs to mitigate potential risk.”
The number and position of smoke alarms in NSW rental properties depend on the size, layout and age of a property.
As a general rule and minimum guide, all properties should have at least one smoke alarm installed on each level of the house. A smoke alarm should also cover each bedroom exit point in a property.
If a property is built after July 1997, 240 volt alarms must be installed instead of 9 volt battery alarms.
There are numerous other elements involved with the compliance of a property, including ensuring smoke alarms meet Australian Standards 3786:2014 and Part 3.7.2 of the Building Code of Australia is adhered to.
For an annual fee of $99 per property, Smoke Alarm Solutions will ensure a landlord’s property is compliant to all relevant smoke alarm legislation throughout the entire year.
Their comprehensively trained technicians will attend to a property as often as required throughout the year to clean and test alarms plus they will also install or replace alarms if required for compliance.
Representatives from Smoke Alarm Solutions are attending most of the upcoming REINSW Roadshows in locations around NSW and will answer any questions about smoke alarm legislation obligations. Find out more information about the Roadshow here.
Alternatively, call SAS on 1300 852 301 to arrange a meeting to discuss your obligations and cost-effective solutions to ensure compliance of your entire rent roll.