There are no smoke alarms in the common areas of our small 1960s strata building. Can I request smoke alarms be installed and regularly maintained? Are smoke alarms mandatory in common areas, or is this decision up to the owners corporation?
Nothing is stopping an owner from requesting the installation of smoke alarms.
The owners (strata or lot) are not required to install smoke alarms in the common area until they are ordered to do so by the Regulatory Authority (generally their Local Council).
Firstly, it is a great idea to do so! Nothing is stopping an owner from requesting they be installed.
The caveats that I give for this are:
- Before installation, get advice from your contractor about whether the work is the correct solution to suit a likely fire order if received.
- The installation of new equipment may be classed as ‘building work', so advice from strata should be sought regarding the legalities.
Log in to your existing Lookupstrata Account to download the printable file.
Rob Broadhead, CEO of 2020 Fire Protection.
I've been involved in strata since 2001, spoken at events, written training courses and been involved in committees. I am a regular contributor to SCA, FMA, OCN, LookUpStrata and Your Strata Property.
I’ve been in fire protection since 1992, a graduate of the Institute of Fire Engineers and an Accredited Practitioner (Fire Safety).
I’ve served voluntarily as VP of FPA Australia and on SCA’s NSW State Committee. I've represented FMA on the Building Commission’s Fire Safety Steering committee, and listed in the 2021 report into Fire Safety Reform. I am co-chair of the Strata sector of the Fire Safety Industry Reference Group.
I bring timely fire and related legislative knowledge transparently to the strata industry.
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