Queensland smoke alarm laws

Who has to comply, and by when?

The legislation came into effect in three stages over ten years, starting in January 2017. The final deadline is 1 January 2027.

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 makes a smoke alarm compliant?

Every required alarm has to meet all four of these.

• Photoelectric, not ionisation. Required alarms must be photoelectric. An alarm containing an ionisation sensor does not comply.
• Interconnected across the dwelling. Every alarm must be interconnected with every other alarm in the home, so that when one activates they all activate.
• Marked AS 3786-2014. The alarm must comply with Australian Standard 3786-2014. The marking is on the body, you may need to lift it off the bracket to read it.
• Hardwired, or a sealed 10-year battery. Either hardwired to mains with a secondary power source, or powered by a non-removable 10-year battery.

The Queensland Fire Department says ionisation smoke alarms may not operate in time to warn you early enough to escape a smouldering fire, and that smouldering fires are the major cause of fatalities in house fires.

Can I use battery alarms, or do they have to be hardwired?

It depends on what the home has now, and on whether it is new or being renovated.

• A home with battery alarms can replace them with photoelectric alarms powered by a non-removable 10-year battery.
• A home with 240-volt (mains-powered) alarms must replace them with 240-volt photoelectric alarms.
• New homes and major renovations need hardwired 240-volt alarms.
• An alarm older than 10 years, or one that does not work when tested, must be replaced.

Where do smoke alarms have to go?

• On each storey. Every level of the dwelling needs coverage.
• In each bedroom. Every room used for sleeping.
• In connecting hallways. Hallways that connect the bedrooms to the rest of the dwelling.
• Where there is no hallway. Between the bedroom and the other parts of that storey.
• On a storey with no bedrooms. At least one alarm in the most likely path of travel out of the dwelling.

On the ceiling itself:

• The centre of the ceiling is the preferred position, but it is not a requirement.
• Alarms must be at least 300 mm from corners and light fittings.
• Alarms must be at least 400 mm from anything that blows air, such as an air conditioner or the edge of a ceiling fan blade.
• Sloping ceilings and ceilings with exposed beams have special requirements.

Set the number of bedrooms and storeys below to see where the rules put the alarms in a home like yours.

Do the alarms have to be connected to each other?

Every alarm must be interconnected with every other alarm in the home, so that when one activates they all activate.

Alarms can be interconnected by wiring them together, by wireless connection, or by a combination of both. Wireless interconnection is available for both 240-volt and battery alarms.

What are the rules for rental homes?

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

• 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.
• Test and clean each smoke alarm at least once every 12 months during the tenancy.

The full list of landlord, property manager and tenant obligations is in smoke alarm rules for landlords and property managers.

What if I am selling my home?

When a contract of sale is signed after 31 December 2021, the seller must upgrade the home to the interconnected smoke alarm standard before it transfers to the buyer.

The seller declares to the buyer that this obligation has been met on a Property Information (Transfer) form, commonly called a "Form 24". It is a standard compliance statement, usually provided by a conveyancer.

More on timing and paperwork in smoke alarm requirements when selling a home.

How do I keep smoke alarms working?

• Test alarms regularly by pressing the test button, or as the manufacturer’s instructions say.
• Dust or vacuum alarms regularly, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Do not remove batteries or disable an interconnected system to silence an alarm.
• QFD recommends recording or setting a reminder for when your alarms need replacing.

An alarm older than 10 years, or one that does not work when tested, must be replaced.

Do I need to tell anyone, and who enforces the rules?

You do not need to tell the Queensland Fire Department once your home complies. When selling a home, you may need to provide proof that you have complied with the legislation.

The Queensland Fire Department regulates domestic smoke alarms under the Fire Services Act 1990 and the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008. Property owners and landlords proven not to have complied can receive an infringement notice.

The Queensland Fire Department warns that some traders give incorrect information about the law, for example that you need more alarms than you do. Check any claim against the official guidance.

Is there help with the cost?

• The Deaf Connect Smoke Alarm Subsidy Scheme, funded by the Queensland Fire Department, helps eligible Queenslanders who are deaf or hard of hearing buy specialty smoke alarms.
• The Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services supports eligible foster, kinship and provisionally approved carers to upgrade their homes to interconnected smoke alarms.

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.

• Queensland Fire Department, Smoke alarms, page updated 25 August 2026
• Queensland Fire Department, Frequently asked questions about smoke alarms, page updated 10 June 2026
• Queensland Government, Smoke alarms, page updated 15 October 2025
• Residential Tenancies Authority, Smoke alarms