Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Duties for Landlords in England: 2026 Guide

England: Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm duties are separate from gas-safety and electrical-safety certification, but they form an important part of a landlord’s wider safety responsibilities. The current rules require prescribed alarms to be installed in specific locations, working at the start of a new tenancy, and repaired or replaced when a landlord is told they are faulty and confirms the fault.

This guide explains the current position for landlords in England. It is general information and does not replace advice on an individual tenancy or property.

What smoke alarms must a landlord provide?

Under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations, relevant landlords must ensure that at least one smoke alarm is equipped on every storey of the rented home where there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation.

The rules do not prescribe a single alarm technology. Government guidance says landlords should choose an appropriate alarm for the building and the tenants, and recommends considering alarms that comply with the relevant British Standard. Manufacturer instructions and the layout of the property should guide positioning.

A hall or landing can count as a room for the purpose of the regulations. In practice, landlords should think about whether the alarm arrangement provides effective warning rather than treating compliance as a box-ticking exercise.

When is a carbon monoxide alarm required?

A carbon monoxide alarm must be equipped in any room used wholly or partly as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, except for a gas cooker.

Government guidance gives examples such as gas or oil boilers and wood- or coal-burning stoves. A purely decorative, non-functioning fireplace would not normally be treated as a fixed combustion appliance.

The regulations do not prescribe one exact location within the room. Government guidance recommends following the manufacturer’s instructions and, as a general guide, placing a carbon monoxide alarm at head height and around 1 to 3 metres from the potential source.

Do alarms have to work on the first day of the tenancy?

Yes. For a new tenancy, the landlord must make sure each prescribed smoke and carbon monoxide alarm is in proper working order on the day the tenancy begins.

This makes the check-in process an important compliance point. A simple operational procedure is to test the alarms during the inventory or handover and retain a dated record. Government guidance specifically notes that landlords are responsible for keeping evidence of when alarms were tested.

Who is responsible if an alarm becomes faulty?

During the tenancy, tenants should report an alarm that is not working. The regulations require landlords to repair or replace a prescribed alarm after being informed and finding that it is faulty.

Government guidance says tenants may replace ordinary batteries where they can do so, but if the alarm remains faulty or the tenant cannot replace the battery, the issue should be reported to the landlord. The landlord remains responsible for repairing or replacing a faulty alarm where the duty applies.

Are hard-wired alarms legally required?

Not by these regulations alone. The regulations do not specify that alarms must be mains-powered or battery-powered. A different standard may be appropriate because of the building type, licence conditions, fire-risk findings, building regulations or other legal requirements.

This distinction matters particularly for HMOs and multi-occupied residential buildings. A landlord should not assume that meeting the minimum alarm requirements in these regulations automatically satisfies every fire-safety or licensing obligation applying to the property.

How do the rules apply to HMOs?

Government guidance states that the alarm regulations apply to unlicensed HMOs. Licensed HMOs are treated differently because the Housing Act licensing framework contains corresponding alarm requirements.

Local councils can also impose or enforce requirements through HMO licensing and housing-safety powers. For a London HMO, always check the property’s borough-level licensing conditions rather than relying on a generic national checklist.

For broader HMO enquiries, see our HMO Property Compliance Enquiries page.

What if a tenant will not provide access?

Government guidance recognises that access can be difficult. Where a landlord is trying to comply with a remedial notice, the guidance says they should be able to show that they took all reasonable steps. That can include writing to the tenant, explaining the safety reason for the visit, offering a convenient time and keeping a written record of access attempts.

For persistent access problems involving gas-safety checks, the same principle of documented reasonable steps is also important, although the legal framework is different.

A practical landlord alarm checklist

Identify every storey containing living accommodation.
Install at least one smoke alarm on each relevant storey.
Identify rooms containing fixed combustion appliances other than gas cookers.
Install a carbon monoxide alarm in each room where the rule applies.
Follow manufacturer instructions for positioning and testing.
Test all prescribed alarms on the day a new tenancy begins.
Keep a dated record of the test.
Give tenants simple instructions on testing and reporting faults.
Repair or replace faulty alarms once notified and the fault is established.
Check for additional HMO, licensing, fire-risk or building-specific requirements.

How this fits into wider landlord compliance

Alarm duties should sit alongside, not replace, other property-safety checks. Depending on the property, landlords may also need an EICR, a Gas Safety Certificate, an EPC and, where applicable, a Fire Risk Assessment.

For more guidance, visit the Compliance Hub. To enquire about one or several property services in London, use the Get a Quote form.

Official sources

Sources checked 29 September 2026. This article provides general information for England and is not legal advice.