New smoke alarm laws passed

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations have finally been passed in Parliament, giving Landlords and Managing Agents until 1st October 2015 to comply. Following final scrutiny of the measures in the House of Lords last week, landlords and Managing Agents now have less than two weeks to ensure that all tenancies have a smoke alarm fitted on every floor of their property where there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation. They will also be required to put a carbon monoxide alarm in any room where a solid fuel is burnt. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to £5,000. Baroness Williams of Trafford, the Communities and Local Government Minister, insisted that the aim of the regulations are to “save lives and not catch landlords out.” But while many professionals in the housing sector have welcomed the aims of the regulations, there are concerns that the Government has ignored calls from across the Private Rented Sector (PRS) to reconsider the timeframe for its implementation. David Cox (left), Managing Director of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), commented, “Whilst these measures are entirely sensible, ARLA is concerned that landlords will not…

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