Smoke alarms

What do you think of this marketing from Smoke Alarm Services? Will we be rushing off before the end of the year to spend a thousand dollars (5 - 6 x $229) per 4-bedroom house to get alarms installed?

QLD Legislation Update

Here is the legislation:
Smoke alarms | Emergency services and safety | Queensland Government

https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/...omestic_Smoke_Alarms)_Amendment_Bill_2016.pdf

And the public news info
Tough Queensland smoke alarm laws to be phased in

 

Isn't there a 10 year grace period? Get them done in 2025 to beat the last minute rush!

 

Interconnection of the alarms certainly makes sense. Will be messy to retrofit, unless wireless systems are used ( if wireless is within regulations ).

 

I read it as a five year grace period.

No way will i be getting it done for the SAS price.

 

5 years for rented properties.
9-10 years for all properties.
Marg

 

$229?
I just got my invoice for a brand new photoelectric or whatever it is smoke alarm.. installed for $29!
Maybe they left off a 2?

 

Is that for a hard wired alarm?

 

Not sure, I'll find out later today.
I thought they had to be hardwired when replaced.

 

The Slacks Creek fire was a huge wake up call, and the new leglislation is in response to this tragedy.

Similar to the tightening of boarding house regulations after the Childers fire.

Having connected alarms, with an alarm in every bedroom, would go a long way to prevent this happening again.
Marg

 

In a way true. But nothing stops the tenants from removing the alarm completely from the ceiling. Recently I went to inspect one of my properties with 2 x hard wired alarms, I noticed one missing from the ceiling, the tenant said it was beeping so he removed it! If landlords require a compliance certificate then I think tenants should be required to sign a declaration that they wont remove them from the mounting point if there is an issue or notify the PM or landlord within 24 hours of an issue.

From my experience smoke alarms seem to be problematic, and when you go to replace a faulty one you can never find a replacement that fits the existing mounting point. If the govt is serious they would introduce a common mounting point/standard to reduce the cost to investors and O/O. More smoke alarms will result in more issues for everyone!

 

Isn't a hard wired alarm connected to 240 volts?

 

Hi Wylie, welcome home.

I have no issues with paying for a contractor. I think the advertisement is misleading. Their job is to drum up business for themselves, but they left out the words "boarding house" and "motel" and I'm sure my local electrician charges by the hour, not by the number of installations. So who is going to install all those devices prior to January on all their IPs in Qld.

( I still have to get four security screens for my Townhouse this Fin. year)

 

Yes plus battery back up for when there is no power. Plus they still have all the same issues as a battery operated one...

 

29 is battery only.

No, do not have to be hardwired as of not long ago, I wanted hard wired done in one place and they installed the 29 dollar jobies, can't really moan too much as company gives 10 year gurantee.

 

The core changes for Queensland (Fire and Emergency Services Domestic Smoke Alarms Amendment Bill 2016) is that you will require a smoke alarm in each bedroom and to install photoelectric smoke alarms with a ten year battery in them. Essentially, this applies as from 1 January 2017 for new builds and/or properties undergoing significant renovation under a building development approval. The Bill applies to a domestic dwelling if after 31 December 2021 a new tenancy for the dwelling starts or an existing tenancy for a dwelling is renewed. There is a long grace period although 'good practice' principles would recommend committing to the changes earlier.

 

For my IP in NSW, I recently received correspondence from PM recommending me to subscribe to "Smoke Alarms Australia" annual service for $99 p.a to ensure smoke alarm compliance. I don't want to do this DIY, but is there a service provider that I can pay on an "as needed" basis, so that I can get them to check the smoke alarms and battery at the beginning of each new tenancy? I would think it would be cheaper to get a professional to install a brand new smoke alarm once every 10 years, rather than annual service which in reality probably does not involve that much to provide?

 

Thanks you saved me a whole lot of research on this but will still double check

So for the existing dwellings (not being reno with DA) it is best to consider this over the next couple of years to do it but before must be compliant by the start of 2022. I can foresee in 2021 there will be a number of smoke alarm businesses opening up.

 

For my own properties I am putting in smoke alarms for each bedroom as from January 2017 to support good practice principles.

 

A sparkie quoted me $750 to install 7 hard wired photoelectric ones in one of my properties in Logan, which will be available for rent in a few weeks time. Not sure if I should do that now or wait until December 2021.

I still have option to use the same Smoke Alarm company to compliance check and replace battery every year though.