London Fire Brigade is very keen to make the capital's private landlords aware of the new legislation around smoke and carbon monoxide alarms especially with London having such a large rental sector. Private landlords taking up this offer could make a real difference to the safety of Londoners.
Landlords urged to snap up free alarms ahead of new life saving fire law
London Fire Brigade is urging the capital's private landlords to act now and apply for free smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms so they are ready for new life saving legislation set to come into force later this year.
From October all private landlords must fit smoke alarms on each floor of their rental properties and install carbon monoxide alarms in rooms containing solid fuel burners - such as cookers and heaters - or face being slapped with a £5,000 fine.
The smoke alarm give-away, which began in the capital on Monday, 20th July 2015 comes as new figures from the Brigade show that in London over the last five years, when there has been a fire in a home, a smoke alarm was not working 41 per cent of the time.
In addition, while overall smoke alarm ownership in the UK stands at around 90 per cent, those living in private rented homes are far less likely to have a working smoke alarm.
Free carbon monoxide alarms
Landlords are also being invited to apply for free carbon monoxide alarms. Carbon monoxide is known as a `silent killer;' and causes around 50 deaths nationally each year.
To help landlords meet the new regulations the Government is making a limited number of free alarms available from fire and rescue services, including London Fire Brigade.
Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety Neil Orbell said: "The private rented sector provides homes for some of the capital's most vulnerable groups and there is no doubt that these regulations will make privately rented accommodation safer and save lives.
"We want to help London's private landlords meet their fire safety responsibilities under this new law and would urge them to apply for their free smoke and carbon monoxide alarms well in advance of the new laws coming into force this October. Tenants can also play a part in taking responsibility for their own safety by reminding their landlords about the new legislation if there are no smoke or carbon monoxide alarms in their home."
National statistics show people are four times more likely to die in a fire in the home if there is no working smoke alarm and over the next ten years it is estimated that the new laws will result in around 230 fewer deaths and 5,860 less injuries.
If you are a private landlord you can find more information about who is eligible and how to apply for free smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on London Fire Brigade's website: www.london-fire.gov.uk
Additional points to note:
- The new legislation, which is subject to parliamentary approval, will also require landlords to check that all alarms are working in their properties at the start of each tenancy.
- Landlords can apply for up to 20 properties and applications will be prioritised according to risk.
- The new regulations do not apply to social landlords and Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) as these are both covered by existing laws.
If you are considering letting your property or passing the management of your property over to our experienced Property Management team we would be delighted to help.
