Upcoming Real Estate Smoke Alarm Legislation Changes

ORMEAU REAL ESTATE AGENT, MORGAN OLIVER SAYS VENDORS SHOULD GET READY FOR CHANGES COMING SOON TO SMOKE ALARM LEGISLATION

Morgan Oliver, Ormeau real estate agent discusses the importance of changes to smoke alarm legislation about to be implemented and how they will affect you and your property especially if you are about to sell your property.

“Major changes were implemented at the beginning of 2017 to smoke alarm legislation,” said Morgan.

Legislation updates included:

• Existing smoke alarms manufactured more than 10 years ago must be replaced with the photoelectric smoke alarms which comply with the Australian Standards (AS) 3786-2014. The date should be shown on the back.
• Smoke alarms that do not operate when tested must be replaced immediately.
• Existing hardwired smoke alarms that need replacement, must be replaced with a hardwired photoelectric smoke alarm.
• Property sellers must lodge a Form 24 stating the requirements of the legislation have been met.

Morgan further elaborated, “these important changes were introduced in a staged manner to allow home-owners and landlords to progressively make their property compliant with the new legislation. However, we now stand in the shadow of the next phase of changes, and it is especially important as the deadline draws close that homeowners are aware of their obligations and how these affect them.”

“As from 1 January 2022, which isn’t that far away now, the last and most critical phase of the legislation will come into effect,” says Morgan.

The legislation mandates:

• All homes or units being sold or leased, or where an existing lease renews, will require hardwired photoelectric, interconnected smoke alarms.
• Smoke alarms in the dwelling must:
  • Be photoelectric (AS)3786-2014; and
  • Not also contain an ionisation sensor; and
  • Be hardwired to the mains power supply, if currently hardwired. Otherwise, smoke alarms can be either hardwired or powered by a non-removable 10-year battery or a combination of both; and
  • Be interconnected with every other smoke alarm in the dwelling so all activate together.
• The legislation also requires that smoke alarms be installed in specific locations.

“Obviously, for vendors contemplating bringing their property to the market around the end of the year, the last phase of the legislation could affect the sale of their property. I would urge everyone thinking of selling to move quickly to ensure their property is compliant ahead of this deadline. It is likely that pressure on contractors will increase as owners rush to ensure their property is compliant. Many in the industry predict that there could be substantial delays in securing licensed contractors to undertake this work. No vendor would want to delay the sale of their property due to this,” reported Morgan.

Ormeau real estate agent, Morgan Oliver says, “make a point of talking to your smoke alarm technician as soon as you can. If you are in doubt, always refer to www.qfes.qld.gov.au/community-safety/smokealarms for additional information.”

9 April 2021

Disclaimer:
JMO Property Group has provided the information contained in this Blog for guidance only. The information presented herein has been obtained from a variety of sources we believe to be reliable. The accuracy of this information, however, cannot be guaranteed by JMO Property Group and all parties should make their own enquiries to verify this information and the relevance to their circumstances.