Airbnb hosts may be unaware of strict smoke alarm rules: SAS

Airbnb hosts may be unaware of strict smoke alarm rules: SAS
Staff ReporterDecember 7, 2020

A leading smoke alarm supplier has expressed concerns that hosts on Airbnb may not be aware of strict smoke alarm rules that may apply to them. 

Whilst the next trend for hospitality is so new that providers have not considered hospitality law as applying to them.

Smoke Alarm Solutions’ Australia and New Zealand sales and marketing director, Julieanne Worchurst, said state legislation differs, but home owners offering Airbnb accommodation need to ensure they are not only aware of applicable federal and state-based smoke alarm legislation, but also ensure their property complies.

“Although the jury is still out as to whether Aribnb hosts qualify as landlords or not, it is imperative to ensure their property’s fire detection system is working and compliant to specifications set out in the Building Code of Australia, which concerns all Australian properties,” Worchust said.

“Regardless of whether you are a home owner or a landlord, each smoke alarm installed in your property needs to be operational and the system needs to comply with federal legislation,” she said.

She said it was the responsibility of the home owner to ensure smoke alarms were compliant before having someone stay at the property. 

“Queensland has very stringent new smoke alarm legislation for brand new properties (with a development approval after January 1 2017); including the fact that photoelectric, 240 volt interconnected smoke alarms need to be installed in each sleeping place.”

Last year, it held a workshop for Queensland property managers outlining the new state smoke alarm legislation, which was passed in August 2016.

SAS supplies, installs and services smoke alarms in more than 262,000 Australian homes and claims it has the largest field service capability in the industry.

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