Smoke alarms in rental homes

Does my rental need interconnected alarms now?

Yes. Interconnected photoelectric alarms must already be installed. That covers rented houses, townhouses, units, apartments and secondary dwellings such as granny flats.

Since 1 January 2017, alarms must comply with AS 3786-2014, and an existing alarm must be replaced with an interconnected alarm when it has expired, stops working, or the home becomes a rental property.

What must happen before each tenancy?

• Test and clean each smoke alarm within the 30 days before a tenancy starts.
• A renewal or extension of a tenancy counts as a new tenancy, so the same obligation applies each time.
• Replace any flat or nearly flat batteries within the 30 days before a lease begins or is renewed.
• These start-of-tenancy obligations cannot be passed to the tenant, for example by asking the tenant to test the alarms.

Smoke alarms are a reportable item in the entry condition report at the start of a tenancy.

What does the tenant have to do?

• Test and clean each smoke alarm at least once every 12 months during the tenancy.
• Replace flat or nearly flat batteries during the tenancy.
• Tell the property manager or owner about any problem with an alarm.

Can I enter the property to install or test alarms?

The property manager or owner must give the tenant an entry notice 48 hours before work to install, maintain, test or replace smoke alarms.

Neither the property manager, the owner nor the tenant may remove a smoke alarm or reduce its effectiveness, for example by painting or covering it.

Do I need a certificate of compliance?

A "certificate of compliance" from a maintenance company is not a legal requirement, though some real estate agents ask for one as part of their own process.

Hardwired interconnected smoke alarms need a Certificate of testing and compliance, issued under section 227 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013.

What happens if a rental home does not comply?

Property owners and landlords proven not to have complied can receive an infringement notice.

Repairs to a smoke alarm that is not working may be considered emergency repairs.

Booking an upgrade for a rental

Choose “Landlord or property manager” in the form below, and tell us the suburb and roughly what the dwelling is. We confirm what it needs and what the visit involves before anything is booked.

The placement and power rules that decide what a rental needs are in our guide to Queensland smoke alarm laws.

Sources

Every requirement on this page is taken from the official guidance below, checked on 15 September 2026. It is general information about the Queensland rules, not advice about your particular home.

• Residential Tenancies Authority, Smoke alarms
• Queensland Fire Department, Smoke alarms, page updated 25 August 2026
• Queensland Fire Department, Frequently asked questions about smoke alarms, page updated 10 June 2026