Published 2026-10-22 by 24hr Electrician Sydney
If you rent out a house or apartment in Hurstville, Kogarah, Rockdale or anywhere else in St George, smoke alarms are one of your most important legal responsibilities. The rules are not complicated, but they are specific, and property managers need a reliable record that they have been followed. This is a plain-English summary.
The general rule
Every home in NSW must have at least one working smoke alarm on each level. That applies to owner-occupied homes and rentals alike. For rental properties, the Residential Tenancies Regulation adds specific obligations for landlords.
Obligations at a glance
- Smoke alarms installed and working on every level
- Checked every year
- Removable batteries replaced every year, and lithium batteries within the manufacturer's recommended period
- Alarms replaced within the manufacturer's recommended period, typically 10 years
- Repairs within two business days of becoming aware of a fault
Hardwired alarms must be repaired or replaced by a licensed electrician. Check NSW Fair Trading for the current requirements.
What tenants can do
Tenants must let the landlord know if a smoke alarm is not working. Depending on the type of alarm, a tenant may be allowed to replace a removable battery. Tenants should never remove a battery or disconnect an alarm. Make sure your tenants know how to report a fault and who to call.
Hardwired or battery?
Many older rentals have battery-only alarms. Newer homes and many renovated properties have hardwired alarms connected to the mains with a backup battery. Hardwired alarms are more reliable because they do not depend on a battery alone, but any work on them must be done by a licensed electrician. Photoelectric alarms are the type recommended by Fire and Rescue NSW.
Interconnection
In a two-storey house or a home with bedrooms spread out, interconnected alarms mean that when one sounds, they all sound. That gives everyone in the house more warning, especially at night. Even where it is not strictly required, we recommend it for rental houses with more than one level.
Units
In apartment buildings, responsibility can be split between the landlord and the owners corporation, depending on the building. Check your strata by-laws and with your strata manager who looks after the alarms inside the unit. Building-wide fire systems are the owners corporation's.
Annual checks
An annual check should confirm that each alarm sounds when tested, is within its replacement date, has a battery in good condition, is in the right location and is clean. Record the date and result for each property. That record is what protects you if something goes wrong.
Access and notice
You must give your tenants proper notice before entering to check or repair smoke alarms. Your property manager will know the current notice periods. Grouping smoke alarm checks with other routine work keeps disruption to a minimum.
Portfolios
Property managers can send us a list of properties. We'll schedule them, test them and provide a record for each. If an alarm is faulty or past its date, we can replace it on the same visit, and we can upgrade battery alarms to hardwired photoelectric alarms where the property suits it.
More on our smoke alarm installation service, or call 0421 772 661.
Between tenancies
The change-over between tenants is a good time to test every alarm, check expiry dates and replace batteries, before the new tenant moves in. It is also a good time to consider upgrading old battery alarms to hardwired photoelectric alarms, while the property is empty.
Granny flats and secondary dwellings
If you rent out a granny flat or a second dwelling on the same block, it needs its own working smoke alarms, and the same landlord obligations apply to it as to the main house.