Smoke alarm legislation

Smoke alarm legislation for houses, townhouses, units and apartments is administered by the Queensland Fire Department (formerly Queensland Fire and Emergency Services), under the:

• Fire Services Act 1990
  • Fire and Emergency Services (Domestic Smoke Alarms) Amendment Act 2016 (Qld)
• Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008.

From 1 January 2022:

• Smoke alarms in all dwellings must:
  • be photoelectric (AS 3786-2014); and
  • not also contain an ionisation sensor; and
  • be less than 10 years old; and
  • operate when tested; and
  • be interconnected so all other smoke alarms in the dwelling activate together; and
  • be either hardwired or powered by a non-removable 10-year battery; and
  • be installed on each story:
    • in each bedroom; and
    • in hallways which connect bedrooms and the rest of the dwelling; or
    • if there is no hallway, between the bedrooms and other parts of the storey; and
    • if there are no bedrooms on a storey, at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the most likely path of travel to exit the dwelling.
• Property managers/owners must:
  • ensure rental premises meet all health and safety requirements, including the installation of smoke alarms
  • test and clean smoke alarms within 30 days before the start of a tenancy. This also includes a renewed tenancy
  • not remove a smoke alarm or a battery (other than to replace it), or do anything to reduce the effectiveness of an alarm e.g. paint it.
• Tenants must:
  • test and clean (by vacuuming or dusting) smoke alarms at least once every 12 months
  • advise the property manager/owner if there is any issue with an alarm and allow the property manager/owner right of entry to install smoke alarms
  • not remove a smoke alarm or do anything to reduce the effectiveness of an alarm e.g. paint or cover it.

For more information, including details of where smoke alarms must be placed in a property, visit the Queensland Fire Department website or contact QFD.

Testing smoke alarms and entry

Smoke alarms are listed as a reportable item in the Entry Condition Report (Form 1a), which records the condition of all Queensland rental properties at the start of a tenancy.

You do not need to be qualified or licensed to clean or test a domestic smoke alarm. Some real estate agents may outsource smoke alarm maintenance to another company as part of their processes. Tenants should be given a copy of the manufacturer's instructions. Tenancy rules permit entry for the purposes of complying with smoke alarm legislation. The managing party must give the tenant a 24 hour entry notice to install, maintain, test or replace smoke alarms.

Repairs relating to a non-functioning smoke alarm may be considered emergency repairs.
Tenants are encouraged to report any faults or repairs as soon as possible to their property owner/manager to carry out within a reasonable timeframe.