Smoke Alarm compliance for QLD in 2022

Discussion in 'Repairs & Maintenance' started by thunderstrike888, 4th Feb, 2021.

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  1. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Most people don't accept a two year lease. There is going to be a rush. I was told the numbers of houses that need to be upgraded, and even allowing for a period of time during which that can happen, the numbers were staggering.
     
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  2. Russell Peter

    Russell Peter Active Member

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    Im arranging an interview up with our smoke alarm company that we are going to record on zoom and post on our website and Facebook. other than the hard deadline/ lease renewals and numbers of properties left to make compliant other questions you want me to find out the answers to?
     
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  3. thunderstrike888

    thunderstrike888 Well-Known Member

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    Even if its not a 2 year lease. If someone signed a new lease in Nov this year the smoke alarms are NOT due to be upgraded until Nov 2022. Why would there be a rush? I got 1 of my houses done within a few days and for $500 all up for 7 alarms.

    There are fire companies trying to take full advantage of landlords that are none the wiser. This needs to STOP with the fearmongering and incorrect emails going around.

    What needs to stop is the following

    1) There is NOT hard deadline in Jan 2022. That's total bullcrap.
    2) There is NO impact to tenants in Jan 2022 if the lease is not up for renewal there. NO tenant is going to have to move out nor will the landlord be up for any damages. That is all bullcrap.
    3) The governing body is QFES. Their information is correct and not ATP.
    4) EXPLICITLY say that the alarms must be upgraded when the lease renewal or a new lease comes up. Providing a blanket Jan 2022 deadline is just dead wrong.
     
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  4. thunderstrike888

    thunderstrike888 Well-Known Member

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    What are you on about? Get your facts straight. READ THE GUIDELINES FROM QFES. The current fire alarms in ALL the houses still work. Nothing changes just because the month turns to January. LOL
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 12th Feb, 2021
  5. yk2020

    yk2020 New Member

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    hi mate who did you end up using?
     
  6. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    I've been told that regardless of the fact there is some leeway to get these done as new leases are written, there are just too many upgrades that will need to be done for the number of people who are "in the business" to be able to do them.

    I'm not aware of, nor discussing any misinformation about kicking tenants out etc... just the pure numbers that will need to be done by a certain date.
     
  7. gman65

    gman65 Well-Known Member

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    I have used Smoke Alarms Australia to get one of my properties compliant..cost was around $550 for 3br and 12 months maintenance.

    The alarms they use are around $60ea on ebay...but I'm happy to pay the extra for their installation and insurance.

    I wouldn't want to be responsible if I did it myself and placed the alarm 50cm from the required location, and the house burned down and killed my tenants, for instance
     
    Last edited: 12th Feb, 2021
  8. See Change

    See Change Well-Known Member

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    If “ nothing changes “ then why are people doing things ?

    Compliance is compliance . Even if no changes need to be made to the location / number of equipment .

    Having worked in an industry which has gone from “ we’re professionals , we can supervise our self “ to “ micromanagement / review of pretty well every aspect of my job “ I’ve seen the importance of taking early action to “ comply “

    fire burns place down , enthusiastic lawyer finds out you weren’t complying ...

    I’m happy to organise everything well in advance .
    If you’re happy to be-little that valid view point ( which is what you did )even if you think it’s alarmist , you either have nothing to worry about loosing , you’re nieve or just plain stupid ....

    Cliff
     
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  9. thunderstrike888

    thunderstrike888 Well-Known Member

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    ^ Sigh

    Where DOES it say by the government rules and regulations that IF you do not upgrade by Jan 2022 you are NOT compliant? Please show me.

    As I have mentioned quite clearly here all houses with working smoke alarms can continue to use them into 2022 until their lease renewal comes up and it is then that they need to have to install the new interconnected ones.

    It is quite simple and now I've had 10+ real estate agents confirm that my understanding is 100% correct + the RTA + the QFES.

    Why do you keep saying ppl are not complying if its not done by Jan 2022? This is THE SINGLE reason why there is so much misinformation going around.
     
  10. jared7825

    jared7825 Well-Known Member

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    My personal feeling on this topic is if its not done by Jan 2022 whats going to happen?
    People are not going to be held accountable anyway until something goes wrong, it will be no different to the current situation

    I have been though many properties for sale in the last 2 years some tenanted that don't comply with the current QLD smoke alarm laws which have been in place for years (or switch board wiring/RCD's for that matter), whats going to be any different come Jan 2022.

    My PPOR was done hardwired last year, and the IP's are hard wired where possible if not wireless interconnected (one of them had ZERO alarms when I purchased), its a sore point for me as I believe its the right thing to do to protect and save lives
     
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  11. Closet

    Closet Well-Known Member

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    For those looking it can be done pretty cost effectively but make sure you pick a brand that has a 10 year warranty some are only 3. For a good quality one

    Hard wired unit - $29
    Wireless unit - $89
    Labour - $200 - 300
     
  12. thunderstrike888

    thunderstrike888 Well-Known Member

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    Can you recommend anyone? I'm using someone now but they charge about $80 per unit for a wireless ones. I'm thinking of just going hard wired from now on. Might be cheaper all up.
     
  13. Bazza

    Bazza Well-Known Member

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    The RTA say that "Smoke alarms must comply with the Standard AS 3786-2014. The body of the alarm must be marked with AS3786-2014." I don't think any of the cheaper alarms have that marking although they say they comply with the AS3786-2014 standard.
     
  14. Clean Cookie

    Clean Cookie Well-Known Member

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    Can I just remind people here also that every alarm has a 10 year lifespan. 99% of the general population have older units. Also don't waste your time on 9v mains units. 10 year lithium are cheap and the cost of batteries over 10 years exceeds the cost of the whole alarm...
     
  15. transit

    transit Well-Known Member

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    It's better to go with wireless unless you have existing 240v units installed
     
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  16. grk349

    grk349 Well-Known Member

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    I understand the question mark about warranties, but can these legally be installed by ourselves?

    Also is it rocket science to get them all functioning?

    Thanks
     
  17. Momentum

    Momentum Well-Known Member

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    I would clarify with your smoke alarm company how much they will charge for the annual compliance certificate. Most of them in Qld charge $79 but now there will be multiple alarms some are raising their prices to $129. I've just signed up with the same mob wylie uses (safe home services) who still charge $79 regardless of how many alarms there are
     
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  18. Momentum

    Momentum Well-Known Member

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    Stick with wireless, there's too many headaches with hard wired 240v units

    Yes you can install yourself if you know exactly where they should be placed. It's not rocket science but I'll be getting my supplier to also install them for an extra $10 per unit. I would hate to put them in the wrong place and be liable if anything happened
     
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  19. Perp

    Perp Well-Known Member

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    @thunderstrike888 you may well be correct with respect to statutory compliance, but it's not as straightforward as you think, because that's only one half - and the smaller half - of what a landlord should be concerned about. The bigger issue is potential liability, which is governed by common law, not statute.

    As an analogous example... The speed limit on a road is 110. There have been lots of accidents on the road and police have called for the limit to be reduced to 80, The government agree and say the speed limit is dropping 1 Jan next year, and put up signs everywhere advising of the forthcoming change.

    If you drive at 110 on the road in June this year, you won't get a speeding fine (statutory penalty).

    But if you have an accident and kill aomebody and speed is considered a factor, the fact that you weren't over the speed limit won't be much of a defence if the deceased's dependents sue you (common law).

    Your insurer may also have differing (more onerous) requirements than simply "not being illegal".
     
  20. grk349

    grk349 Well-Known Member

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    Just ordered my own alarms. $290 for 5.

    Will get a compliance certificate from a smoke alarm company

    So Total cost around $400. Sure beats paying the $850 that I was quoted for similar alarms.
     
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