Government guidance recommends the use of alarms powered by ‘sealed for life’ models such as those using lithium batteries. To ensure a fire is detected as soon as possible and all occupants are alerted to the danger, interlinked or interconnected alarms such as radio-frequency (RF) battery alarms or hardwired mains alarms talk to each other and all will sound if one detects a possible fire or carbon monoxide leak. The new standards for fire and smoke alarms extend those which currently apply in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) to housing of all tenures, your landlord should already be complying. To protect the most vulnerable, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) will only fit interlinked alarms into owner-occupied homes where the individual/household is assessed as “high risk” through our Home Fire Safety Visit assessment process. The standard is enforced by the right of tenants to apply to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) , so if you believe that your landlord is failing to comply, you can apply to the first-tier tribunal. Penalties for non-compliance would be determined by the tribunal. Specia list alarms The guidance also states “where an existing partial or full mains operated heat and smoke detection system is being altered it would normally be expected to replace mains wired devices with mains wired units.” This should be considered when undertaking extension, alteration or conversion work and any alternative arrangement should be agreed with the local authority verifier in advance. A building warrant is sometimes required for the installation of fire and CO alarms

To be eligible for support from Care and Repair Scotland you must own and live in your home that has a council tax banding of A-C and: Some smart models sound an alarm on your smartphone and through the alarm itself when triggered – this is the most helpful kind of smart alarm. Cutting Edge Technology – Our smoke alarms use the latest photoelectric sensor and our heat alarms utilise an ultra sensitive temperature sensorFor shared ownership properties, as with other condition standards, responsibilities are set out in the occupancy agreement. However, in general, it is your responsibility as the proportion owner, rather than the registered social landlord, to meet the new fire and smoke alarm standard. Private rented property You can put them in kitchens and garages because they’re not prone to false alarms from cooking or exhaust fumes. But they are slower to respond than smoke alarms. Interlinking when one alarm goes off, all the connected detectors are activated. This can be particularly useful in a larger house. Where there is a carbon-fuelled appliance (e.g. boiler or gas cooker) or a flue, a carbon monoxide alarm is also required.

If you have a carbon-fuelled appliance–like a boiler, fire, heater or flue –in any room, you must also have a carbon monoxide detector in that room, but this does not need to be linked to the fire alarms. It is the landlord's duty to ensure a sufficient number of suitable alarms are installed correctly and working at the start of each tenancy. After this, the tenants must perform regular testing and maintenance (including replacing batteries). If an alarm is faulty and replacing the batteries does not rectify the issue, the tenant must inform the landlord who will arrange the repair or replacement of the alarm. However, landlords are recommended to provide a demonstration and instructions to tenants for the testing and maintenance, and must make an informed decision to meet the needs of tenants with special requirements or disabilities. Interlinked means if one goes off, they all go off, so you will always hear an alarm wherever you are in your home. If the individual / household does not meet these criteria, SFRS staff will provide safety advice, information and details of the revised legislation during the visit. Interim detection can also be supplied if the property has no detectors at present. So if you’re out of your home and not near your phone when the messages come through, you’ll have no way of knowing the alarm was sounding.Please note that the Nest Protect System will notmeet the standard. This is because they do not meet the requirements for a heat alarm under the relevant British Standard. British Standard (BS 5839-6:2019) states that only heat alarms should be installed in kitchens. Costof alarms and financial help Homeowners and landlords

Pros: Can suit dustier areas, such as lofts, the area near your bathroom or rooms where people smoke. Pros: Good for bedrooms, landings and hallways, and near to kitchens as they aren’t as prone to false alarms from cooking. Ensure smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are repaired or replaced once informed and found that they are faulty.If you are resident in Scotland, you should be aware that there are new regulations in place from February 2022 that will make some of the above practices a legal requirement. Smoke alarms, heat alarms, and carbon monoxide alarms powered from a mains circuit will usually also have an interlink or interconnect terminal next to the live and neutral wire terminals. If one alarm detects a fire or CO emergency it will pass the signal to the other units which will also sound an alarm throughout the property. This is particularly important for large buildings or if the bedroom is located far away from the kitchen. Outhouses and garages can also be connected into the radio-interlinked alarm system for added peace of mind. Any mains-powered alarms, regardless of sensor type, must be permanently wired into a mains circuit. Alarms which use a mains plug are not suitable for the updated regulations. With the wireless alarms, you don't need to wire up anything extra in your home or replace a device if it depreciates in another location. In contrast, hard-wired devices require complex installation process and expensive equipment. If you ever decide to expand your fire alarm system, this will be clearly easier and cost-effective with battery powered units. Finally, the wireless interlinked alarms are easy to relocate if you move home, where as hard-wired ones might not work correctly in a new electrical system. Why Wireless Interlinked Smoke Alarms Are Better?

As this will be a minimum standard for safe houses, local authorities will be able to use their statutory powers to require owners to carry out work on substandard housing. However, as is the case for other elements of the Tolerable Standard, any intervention must be proportionate, rational and reasonable and where owners are unable to meet the standard, it is not a criminal offence. Information and advice Free Home Fire Safety visits from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) The latter are pricier when you buy for the first time, but you won't have to factor in the expense of replacement battery costs. Wireless interlinked smoke alarms are much more convenient than hardwired ones. There is no need to wire them up, and the installation cost is also much lower than wiring up a mains-powered fire alarm system or permanently installing hard-wired detectors. Sealed, tamper-proof battery units must be used because they are safer than those which allow the user to change the batteries. Disposing of your old alarms

Please note: A smoke or heat alarm will give an audible sound consisting of two cycles of three loud beeps, for CO alarms there will be two cycles of four loud beeps. Fire detection system incorporating control and indicating equipment to BS EN 54-2, power supply to BS EN 54-4, and installed to BS 5839 Part 1, with some very minor exceptions. Now that the alarms law has changed in Scotland, you'll need to install interlinked heat and smoke alarms in your home. Smart RF Ready products require a Smart RF Radio Module (FS1521W2-T) for wireless interlink. Smart RF products do not require a module and work with any FireAngel Smart RF device for wireless compatibility. It is also important that these detectors are interlinked together through radio frequency signals and have an integrated sealed battery, as the best and cost-effective solution that will save you money on the short and long-term.