The Building Regulations 2012 require the owner of a house to have compliant smoke alarms installed prior to the transfer of ownership at time of settlement.
To comply the smoke alarms need to be installed in the house at a location that complies to the Building Code of Australia, AND is not older that 10 years, AND is in working order, AND is permenantly connected to mains power.
When it is not possible to connect the smoke alarm to mains power because of the type of consruction of the building where there is no hidden space to run the electrical cables then a battery operated smoke alarm can be used so long as it is a approved device that has a 10 year battery that can not be removed. It is also required to have a date stamp stating when it is to be replaced.
From the 1 May 2014, the Building COde of Australia requires the interconnection of smoke alarms where more than one alarm is required to be installed.So, if you are installing new smoke alarms into a house after 1 May 2014 they must be interconnected.
If you are at all unsure about the regulations or need advice please give Perth Property Inspections a call or if you would like a building inspection completed anywhere in Perth and surrounding areas please give us a call on our freecall number 1800 781 251.
Check out our website at www.perthpropertyinspections.com.au