Interlinked smoke alarms are now required for all residential properties

The law now requires all residential properties in Scotland to have interlinked smoke alarms.

The legislation was passed in 2019 following the Grenfell Tower fire but it has only come into force from 1 February, the delay being caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The legislation aims to ensure everyone in Scotland who lives in a residential property is protected by these new alarms. It applies to all homes irrespective of whether they are owned or rented. If you live in private rented accommodation, your landlord is responsible for the alarm installation.

What are interlinked smoke alarms?

As the name suggests, interlinked smoke alarms are connected to one another so that when one of them is triggered, they all sound together. This means that if, for instance, you are in the living room of your house which you have fitted with a smoke alarm and an alarm in another part of the house is triggered, the alarm in the living room will also sound along with the other alarms in the house.

Where do the alarms need to be fitted?

You need to have the following alarms fitted:

A smoke alarm in the most frequently used room in the house. This is usually the living room
A smoke alarm in each circulation space. This is usually the hallway. In addition, if your house is more than one storey, you will need a smoke alarm on the hall or landing on every level.
A heat alarm must be fitted in every kitchen in the house.
All of these alarms must be interlinked so that if one sounds, they all sound.

In addition, you must fit a carbon monoxide detector in every room where there is a central heating boiler or an open fire or heater. This does not need to be connected to the other alarms.

But my house already has smoke alarms fitted

If the alarms you have are not interlinked, you need to replace them. If they are, you should check that they comply with the required standard.

The interlinked alarms can either be sealed battery units or mains connected units. If they are sealed battery units, as the name suggests, you cannot change the battery. When the battery is used up, you need to replace the entire unit. However, the life expectancy of sealed battery units is 10 years. You can fit the sealed battery units yourself, if you wish. It is always recommended that you engage a qualified tradesman to install the mains connected version.

In addition, the alarms must meet certain standards. These are:

Heat alarms – BS 5446-2:2003
Smoke alarms – BS EN14604:2005
Carbon monoxide detector: British Kitemark EN50291-1
If you already have alarms, you will need to check they match these specifications.

If I don’t do anything, what will happen?

At the moment, the likely answer is “nothing”. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing the legislation. However, they will not enter your property and they will not be issuing fines. It is likely that, in due course, they will issue a notice to you requiring you to fit the appropriate alarms.

Are those are the only penalties; why should I bother?

If you are thinking about selling your home, it is likely that the Home Report will indicate that the alarms are not compliant with current legislation. There is not sufficient evidence at the moment to determine if this will have any effect on the sale of the property. It is likely that the Home Report will indicate that this is a matter than should be dealt with as soon as possible.

Also, whilst home insurers have indicated that the lack of these new alarms will not affect cover of existing home insurance policies, you must check your renewal notice to find out if any conditions of cover have been applied in relation to having these new types of alarms.

Is there any financial help for the installation?

There is some financial help available for disabled and older people. Care and repair Scotland are responsible for managing the distribution of the financial help. You can find out more of that by clicking here.

Where can I find out more information about interlinked smoke alarms?

The Scottish Government website is a good place to start and you can click here if you wish to find out more.

© Brian O’Neill May 2022