Landlord Smoke Alarm Compliance Checklist for England

Why a Checklist Matters More Than Knowing the Law

Most landlords in England have a rough idea that smoke alarms are required. The problem is not awareness — it is execution. The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 (as amended 2022) create duties at specific moments: check alarms on the first day of a new tenancy and repair or replace them when a reported fault is found. Replace alarms by the manufacturer's end-of-life date as a maintenance measure. A local authority may serve a remedial notice for a breach; a penalty of up to £5,000 can follow if the landlord then fails to comply with that notice.

A checklist converts "I think I've done everything" into dated, documented proof that you have.

Before a New Tenancy: Installation Check

Walk every storey of the property. For each level that contains a room used as living accommodation — bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, hallways, converted lofts, basements — confirm:

• One smoke alarm is installed on that storey. Government guidance recommends a ceiling position in a circulation space such as a hallway or landing, following the manufacturer's instructions.
• One CO alarm is installed in every room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance (gas boiler, oil boiler, wood burner, solid-fuel fire) — gas cookers are excluded
• Each alarm is within its manufacturer's expiry date (check the DOM stamp on the back of the unit; most smoke alarms last 10 years, while CO sensor life commonly ranges from 7 to 10 years; follow the manufacturer's end-of-life marking)
• Each alarm has a working battery (for sealed units, the green LED indicator should pulse; for replaceable-battery units, insert a fresh battery)
• No alarm is obstructed by furniture, shelving, or stored items
• Mains-wired alarms (Grade D1) have power and their backup battery indicator shows normal

Record the make, model, serial or batch number, manufacture date, and location of every alarm. The regulations do not prescribe these record fields, but dated evidence supports your account if a council investigates or reviews a penalty.

On the Day the Tenancy Starts: The Day-One Test

The regulations require you to ensure every alarm is in proper working order on the day the tenancy begins — not the day before, not the week before. Press the test button on each smoke alarm and each CO alarm. If any alarm fails the button test, replace it before the tenant moves in.

Document the test: date, time, property address, which alarms were tested, the result (pass or fail), and who conducted the test. Have the tenant (or their agent) sign the record if possible. A signed check-in inventory that records alarm testing is the strongest evidence in an enforcement scenario.

During the Tenancy: Ongoing Duties

• Regular press-testing: government guidance recommends that landlords give tenants instructions on how and how often to test alarms, following the manufacturer's instructions. The regulations do not set a monthly testing duty for tenants.
• Fault reports: when a tenant reports a faulty alarm and it is found not to be working, you must repair or replace it as soon as reasonably practicable. The regulations do not set a fixed number of hours.
• Annual gas safety check (CP12): your Gas Safe engineer may note the presence of CO alarms on the certificate, but the CP12 does not replace your direct statutory testing duty under SI 2015/1693
• Five-yearly EICR: the electrician inspects mains-wired alarm circuits as part of the Electrical Installation Condition Report, but this only covers hardwired systems — battery alarms are outside EICR scope

Before Renewal or New Occupant

If a genuinely new tenancy begins, the Day-One test obligation applies. A statutory periodic continuation with the same tenant does not trigger a retest; a change of occupant alone does not establish that a new tenancy has been granted.

Check every alarm's expiry date at each tenant changeover. A 10-year alarm installed in 2017 reaches its manufacturer's end-of-life date in 2027; schedule replacement by that date, and ensure all required alarms are in proper working order on the new tenancy's first day.

The Printable Version

Our Smoke and CO Alarm Compliance Guide includes a 25-item dated compliance checklist designed to be printed, taken to the property on check-in day, filled in room by room, and filed with the tenancy paperwork. It covers installation, Day-One testing, fault response, and end-of-life replacement — everything above in a format that works as evidence if a council ever questions your compliance.

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