Homeowners and Landlords. Is your property ready?
(Update) The Scottish Government have delayed the new regulations on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms by 12 months due to the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19). The new deadline is now February 2022.
Legislation due to come into effect in February 2021 meant the standard which currently applies to private rented property and new-builds would have been extended to all homes in Scotland.
For more information on the upcoming regulations, call:
0141 950 9005, or drop us a quick message with the form on this page.
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General Overview
New Standards
The standard requires:
one smoke alarm installed in the room most frequently used for general daytime living purposes
one smoke alarm in every circulation space on each storey, such as hallways and landings
one heat alarm installed in every kitchen
All alarms should be ceiling mounted and interlinked.
The requirement is to have all alarms interlinked. You may not hear the alarm closest to the fire but, by having an interlinked system, you will be alerted immediately.
Where there is a carbon-fuelled appliance (such as boilers, fires (including open fires) and heaters) or a flue, a carbon monoxide detector is also required which does not need to be linked to the fire alarms.
Why Now?
Following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in London, a Ministerial Working Group on Building and Fire Safety was established to review Scotland’s building and fire safety regulatory frameworks. This legislation will ensure that everyone in Scotland has the same level of protection whether they own or rent their home.
The legislation applies to all homes which must meet the minimum standard and, where there is a requirement for specialist equipment for deaf people, this should be installed in addition to the equipment installed to meet the standard.
Any costs will be the responsibility of home owners and landlords. The cost of the alarms will vary according to what you currently have in place and the alarms you choose to install.
The regulations now come into force in February 2022, 12 months after the original planned date due to the difficulties caused by COVID-19.
Typical Single level property (flat):
Consisting of 2 smoke detectors, 1 heat detector and 1 CO detector; supplied and installed with 3 years parts warranty:
Fire Angel System: £367 inc vat.
AICO System: £395 inc vat.
Typical Two level property (up and down stairs):
Consisting of 3 smoke detectors, 1 heat detector and 1 CO detector; supplied and installed with 3 years parts warranty:
Fire Angel System: £458 inc vat.
AICO System: £496 inc vat.
Fire Angel alarms use 10-year battery systems and are interlinked wirelessly (upcoming requirement by law), meaning minimal decor disruption. For all more information and updates, see the official documentation directly from the scottish government, here.