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https://www.rta.qld.gov.au/Renting/During-a-tenancy/Maintenance-and-repairs/Smoke-alarms.aspx
Certficates and annual inspections etc are a scam run by dodgy sparkies to milk $99 per rental by suggesting the owner has obligations in excess of that in law. A 9V battery for $99 ??? That the tenant needs to pay for.
AS long as the battery is changed on tenancy change then the owner complies. The catch is end of life. The recommended life is 10 years. There isn't a use by date on most brands.
By "in law", I assume you mean the statutory minimums. But what gives you confidence that the common law duty of care isn't higher than the regulatory minimum?Certficates and annual inspections etc are a scam run by dodgy sparkies to milk $99 per rental by suggesting the owner has obligations in excess of that in law.
By "in law", I assume you mean the statutory minimums. But what gives you confidence that the common law duty of care isn't higher than the regulatory minimum?
In my not-a-lawyer-but-a-law-student opinion, relying on statute would be a bad idea.In my uneducated legal opinion i think everyone can rely on the statutory time limit.
Hey all,
What requirements are there in QLD for smoke alarm servicing? Is changing the batteries enough? Or do I need to pay someone to check them for insurance and RTA compliance?
Sounds great for a PPOR without hard-wired alarms, for sure.Does this Photoelectric And Monoxide Lithium Smoke Alarm for $85 at Bunnings sound to good or what?
No batteries to change or for tenants to take out,10 year life span,
http://www.bunnings.com.au/first-alert-photoelectric-and-monoxide-lithium-smoke-alarm-_p4210885
I have hard wired ionization smoke alarms at rentals at the moment,surely the upgrading to Photoelectric non tampering alarms is a safer bet,legally and morally.Sounds great for a PPOR without hard-wired alarms, for sure.
For an IP, as a landlord I'd want to check:
1) Given that many statutes require alarm changes between tenants, would they exempt this requirement for such a product? (Legislation obviously wasn't drafted with such a product in mind, alas.)
This would be worth looking into,especially seeing as I pay nearly $500 a year for the flats?
2) What are the requirements for quantity and positioning?
Quantity and positioning has already been sorted out by the professionals beforehand and unless there is a major change in the law,the amount and positioning will all be the same.
The second point is the one that many people seem to overlook with regards to their duty of care towards tenants with respect to fire safety. Apart from your statutory obligation to have alarms and have charged batteries, etc., it's likely that a landlord's common law duty of care extends to ensuring that they have an appropriate quantity of smoke alarms, and that they're positioned correctly. Most landlords don't have that knowledge and expertise.
Experts already hired and sorted
If you do it yourself, and get it wrong, you'll almost certainly be found to have breached your duty of care.
If you pay a smoke alarm service, and they get it wrong, your having hired experts to do it is likely to be enough to satisfy your duty of care. (Whether the experts did any better than you could have done or not.)
I have hard wired ionization smoke alarms at rentals at the moment,surely the upgrading to Photoelectric non tampering alarms is a safer bet,legally and morally.
I have just been to Masters where I upgraded all my PPOR hardwired ionization alarms to photoelectric (around $40 each)and I also have beside them new ionization smoke alarms with battery only.Apparently each type has a purpose and I have just found out you can buy a smoke alarm with both Photoelectric and ionization in one alarm.
If you read the link I posted on another thread it appears the fire brigade doesn't support the dual alarms. I will try to find the link again. It spelt out the reason but I don't want to put it here in case I get it wrong.
This is the thread I think - http://somersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1229656#post1229656
It must have been somewhere else where the recommendation was not to have just dual ones. From memory is was due to one half going off with false alarms so people dismantle the alarm = nothing at all.
Does this Photoelectric And Monoxide Lithium Smoke Alarm for $85 at Bunnings sound to good or what?
No batteries to change or for tenants to take out,10 year life span,
http://www.bunnings.com.au/first-alert-photoelectric-and-monoxide-lithium-smoke-alarm-_p4210885