The Fire and Rescue Service Amendment Act 2006 has been law since 1 July 2007, and with it comes added responsibilities for all property owners.
The Rules
Smoke Alarms
Landlords must ensure that their rental property/s are fitted with the required number of working smoke alarms that comply with Australian Standard 3786-1993 and that they are correctly positioned in accordance with the Building Code of Australia.
Landlords must also ensure each smoke alarm is tested, cleaned and each battery that is spent or known to be almost spent, is replaced within 30 days before the start of a tenancy which includes New Tenancies & Tenancy Renewals.
In addition landlords must replace smoke alarms before they reach the end of their service life. The service life of a smoke alarm is usually indicated by the warranty offered by its manufacturer.
Safety Switches
Electrical Safety Regulations 2002 also imposes upon landlords of leased domestic residences the compulsory installation of safety switches for all power outlets.
