Are you on track to meet your new obligations?
New smoke alarm obligations have been set, with landlords required to act before 23 March 2020.
From 23 March 2020, all NSW landlords will need to ensure that smoke alarms installed in the rented property are in working order. A penalty will apply for landlords who fail to comply, according to a statement from NSW Fair Trading.
“The details on when a landlord must repair or replace a battery-operated or hardwired smoke alarm, and when a tenant may repair or replace a smoke alarm, is in the new regulation,” the statement noted.
“The existing provision that allows landlords to enter the property without consent has been extended to specifically include inspecting or assessing the need for repairs to, or replacement of, a smoke alarm if proper notice has been given to the tenant.”
As laid out on NSW Fair Trading’s website, a landlord must do the following to ensure smoke alarms installed in the rental property are in working order:
• Carry out annual checks to ensure all smoke alarms installed at the property are in working order.
• Replace a removable battery in all smoke alarms in the period specified by the smoke alarm manufacturer (for a removable lithium battery), or otherwise annually.
• Repair or replace a smoke alarm that is not working within two days of becoming aware that it is not working.
• Replace a smoke alarm with a new smoke alarm within 10 years from the manufactured date, or earlier if specified by the smoke alarm manufacturer.
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