The alarm standards set by the Smoke, Heat and Carbon Monoxide Alarms for Private Tenancies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 came into operation for other private tenancies on 1 December 20241. The Regulations were made by the Department for Communities on 30 May 2024 under the Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, and had already applied to new private tenancies, meaning those granted on or after 1 September 2024, from that date1.
Under regulation 3, a landlord must ensure each dwelling-house has a smoke alarm in the room most frequently used by occupants for general daytime living purposes, including an open plan living area, and in every circulation space on each storey; a heat alarm in every kitchen; and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room or circulation space containing a fixed combustion appliance or a flue1. A circulation space is defined as a hall, stairs, landing or corridor, and a room includes an integral garage1. A fixed combustion appliance covers boilers, fires including open fires, heaters and stoves fuelled by solid fuel, oil or gas, but excludes a gas cooker or gas oven1.
Where the proximity of an open fireplace would make a smoke alarm impracticable, a heat alarm may be fitted instead1. In an open plan living area, the smoke alarm requirement for the main living room may be dispensed with provided the kitchen heat alarm is positioned not more than 7.5 metres from any point in the room1. A heat alarm is defined as a device detecting heat rather than smoke, containing a thermistor set to respond to temperatures above 58°C by sounding an alarm1.
Smoke and heat alarms must be interlinked, and may be hard wired, battery sealed, or a combination of both; battery sealed alarms should be tamper-proof units with long life batteries1. Smoke and heat alarms must be installed and maintained in accordance with British Standard BS 5839-6, while carbon monoxide alarms must follow British Standard BS EN 50292 and do not need to be interlinked1. Landlords must ensure each alarm is in proper working order at the beginning of every new tenancy, replaced when notified it is faulty, and replaced before the manufacturer's specified date of expiry1.
"The Department for Communities makes the following Regulations"
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Smoke alarm | Main daytime living room, including open plan living area; every circulation space on each storey |
| Heat alarm | Every kitchen |
| Carbon monoxide alarm | Any room or circulation space with a fixed combustion appliance or flue |
| Interlinking | Smoke and heat alarms interlinked; carbon monoxide alarms need not be |
| Standards | BS 5839-6 for smoke and heat; BS EN 50292 for carbon monoxide |
Why it matters for households
For tenants in Northern Ireland, the Regulations set a floor for alarm provision that applies regardless of when a tenancy began, so the detection fitted in a rented home is no longer tied to the date the tenancy was granted. The requirements cover the appliances most associated with carbon monoxide risk, since a carbon monoxide alarm is required wherever a fixed combustion appliance or flue is present, and they place continuing duties on landlords to test, replace and renew alarms rather than fit them once1. Interlinked smoke and heat alarms mean an alarm sounding in one part of a dwelling should be audible elsewhere, which matters where occupants are asleep or in another room. The Regulations sit within the wider regulation and policy framework for housing and energy in Northern Ireland, alongside separate building standards work such as the Building Regulations in Northern Ireland and the Technical Booklets.
What happens next
The Regulations came into operation for other private tenancies on 1 December 20241. No further commencement dates are set out in the Regulations.