Smoke Alarm Regulations 2022: What Landlords and Electricians Must Know

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 came into force on 1 October 2022. They amend the original 2015 Regulations and introduce two significant changes for landlords of privately rented properties in England.

First, they extend the carbon monoxide alarm requirement. Under the 2015 Regulations, CO alarms were only required in rooms with a solid fuel appliance (wood burner, open fire). The 2022 amendment expands this to cover any room with a fixed combustion appliance — including gas boilers, gas fires, and oil-fired appliances. Gas cookers remain excluded, but every other fuel-burning appliance now requires a CO alarm in the same room.

Second, they introduce a repair or replace duty. Under the original 2015 Regulations, landlords had to ensure alarms were installed and working at the start of each tenancy but had no ongoing obligation during the tenancy. The 2022 amendment changes this: once a tenant notifies the landlord that an alarm is faulty, the landlord must repair or replace it. This creates an ongoing duty throughout the tenancy, not just a check-in obligation.

These changes bring England closer to the more comprehensive requirements already in place in Scotland, where interlinked alarms are mandatory in all homes. For electricians, the 2022 changes create additional work — particularly in fitting CO alarms to properties with gas boilers that previously did not require them.

The combined effect of the original 2015 Regulations and the 2022 Amendment creates the following requirements for landlords in England:

The regulations do not specify the exact type of smoke alarm (ionisation, optical, or multi-sensor) or whether it must be mains-wired. However, the government guidance recommends optical or multi-sensor alarms (which are less prone to nuisance tripping from cooking) and mains-wired units with battery backup where possible.

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 apply to:

The regulations do not apply to owner-occupied homes (in England), long leases of 21 years or more, or live-in landlords with lodgers. However, Building Regulations (Approved Document B) require smoke detection in all new-build homes regardless of tenure, and the government strongly recommends that all homeowners install smoke and CO alarms.

In Scotland, the Tolerable Standard applies to all homes regardless of whether they are rented or owner-occupied — this is a key distinction from the English regulations.

Smoke alarms and CO alarms must comply with the relevant British Standards:

For mains-wired smoke alarm systems in domestic premises, the design and installation should follow BS 5839-6 (the code of practice for fire detection and fire alarm systems in domestic premises). This standard covers system grades (A to F), categories (LD1, LD2, LD3), positioning, wiring, interlinking, and testing.

Interlinked alarms are connected so that when one alarm detects smoke, heat, or CO, all alarms in the system sound simultaneously. This ensures that occupants anywhere in the property are alerted immediately — even if the fire starts on a different floor or in a room with the door closed.

There are two methods of interlinking:

In England, the 2022 Regulations do not mandate interlinking for existing rented properties, but the government guidance strongly recommends it. In Scotland, interlinked alarms are a legal requirement in all homes. The direction of travel across the UK is clear: interlinked alarms will eventually be required everywhere.

For electricians, recommending and installing interlinked alarm systems in rented properties is both a safety improvement and a revenue opportunity. A full interlinked system (smoke alarms in hallways and landings, heat alarm in the kitchen, CO alarm at boiler) typically costs £200 to £500 installed — a straightforward job that can be completed in under 2 hours.

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The most significant change in the 2022 Amendment is the extension of the carbon monoxide alarm requirement. Before October 2022, CO alarms were only legally required in rooms with solid fuel appliances — wood burners, open fires, and coal fires. The 2022 Amendment extends this to all fixed combustion appliances, with the sole exception of gas cookers.

This means that the following now require a CO alarm in the room:

Carbon monoxide is odourless and colourless. It kills approximately 60 people per year in the UK and sends a further 4,000 to hospital. A faulty boiler flue, a blocked chimney, or a poorly maintained gas fire can produce lethal levels of CO within hours. The extension of CO alarm requirements to cover gas boilers is a direct response to this ongoing risk.

When installing CO alarms, position them at head height on a wall or on the ceiling, between 1 and 3 metres from the combustion appliance. Do not place them directly above a cooker, next to a window (draughts affect sensor readings), or in a location where they would be covered by curtains or furniture. Test the alarm after installation and record the installation details.

Whether fitting battery-operated alarms for a basic landlord compliance job or installing a full mains-wired interlinked system, getting the installation right is critical for both safety and professional reputation.

For competent person scheme registered electricians, a new mains-wired smoke alarm circuit is notifiable work that can be self-certified. Issue an Electrical Installation Certificate for the new circuit and notify the work through your scheme provider.

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Enforcement of the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations falls to the local authority (the district or borough council). The enforcement process follows a structured escalation:

In practice, enforcement has been inconsistent across local authorities — some are proactive, others are reactive (only acting on tenant complaints). However, the trend is towards more active enforcement, particularly as part of broader landlord compliance checks that also cover EICR, gas safety, and energy performance certificates.

For landlords, the cost of compliance is negligible — a few battery-operated alarms cost under £50 total. There is no financial justification for non-compliance, and the reputational and legal consequences of a fire in a property without working alarms would be catastrophic.