Carlisle property landlords are being urged to put in place safety measures to protect their tenants.

Following approval by the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 are now law.

The regulations will come into force on 1 October 2022 and landlords must be compliant with the requirements set out in the Regulations from that date.

Councillor Marilyn Bowman, Portfolio holder for Economy, Enterprise and Housing, said:

“These regulations are in place to ensure private and social tenants are safe in their homes, and we urge landlords to begin installing alarms if you haven’t yet, to ensure they are compliant with these regulations when they come into force on 1 October 2022.

“Any landlord found to be in breach could be fined up to £5,000 and landlords should prepare for these changes right away.”

These new regulations mean that registered providers of social housing must ensure at least one smoke alarm is provided on each storey of their homes where there is a room used as living accommodation.

This has been a legal requirement in the private rented sector since 2015.

All landlords must also ensure a carbon monoxide alarm is provided in any room used as living accommodation which contains a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers).

Landlords will be legally obligated to ensure smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are repaired or replaced once they are informed and the alarms are found to be faulty.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has now published guidance booklets to further support you in preparing for these changes.

These explanatory booklets are a general guide to help landlords understand and comply with the Regulations and help local housing authorities prepare to effectively enforce them.

The guidance for landlords and tenants can be found on their website.