Victoria Smoke Alarms

I thought hardwired smoke detectors were compulsory in all states of Australia.

Is Victoria different or is the article below flawed ?

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/national/a/24852658/vic-coroner-wants-smoke-detector-overhaul/

A Victorian coroner has called for all rental properties to be fitted with a hard-wired smoke detector, after three international students died in a Melbourne house fire.

Coroner Peter White has recommended a change to Victorian laws to ensure that every floor of a rental property be fitted with a hard-wired smoke alarm, with a 10-year, tamper-proof, battery back-up.

The coroner made the recommendations in his findings into the deaths of 32-year-old Deepak Kumar Prajapati, 24-year-old Sunil Ramanlal Patel, and 24-year-old Jignesh Kumar Ghanshyamdas Sadhu.

The three men died in an electrical fire at a Footscray house in January 2008.

It might be the latest judgment however the case dates back to 2008.

It is compulsory to install hardwired smokeys prior to sale.

It beats me as to why some LLs are so tight even when it comes down to basic safety measures - hardship is not an excuse.

That's why I pay the $99/annum for each property and place the liability of fire/smoke alarm on somebody else.

If the alarm has a 10-year, tamper-proof battery, why does it need to be hardwired. (And yes, there are alarms which have 10-year batteries that are not hardwired.)

Other than the ability for hardwired alarms to all go off at once (which is now available O/S in battery-operated alarms as well) I fail to see any benefit to having an alarm be hardwired. In fact, I have had more problems with hardwired alarms going off due to electrical disturbances or just being plain faulty and getting disabled as a result than I have ever had with battery-operated alarms, which seem to me to be both cheap and trouble-free.

In Queensland any property built or substantially renovated in or after 1997 is required to be fitted with hardwired alarms. All other properties may be fitted with battery alarms. There is also a requirement that all alarms must be checked for correct operation and have batteries replaced if necessary at least once a year and also within 1 month prior to the start or renewal of any lease.

There is no qualification required to check correct operation. Anyone can do it. Most hardwired alarms are poorly designed such that you need to be a sparky to replace them. There is no reason why hardwired alarms could not be designed so they could be replaced like a lightbulb, but the design and the legislation were created by the sparky's benevolent society. (Yes, almost every hardwired alarm I have seen had a socket type arrangement, bt every socket seems to be different so it's not much use.)

I am in NSW and my property manager just sent me the following info

- We write as your Managing Agent and as our duty of care to minimise your exposure to risk and to ensure the Compliancy, Maintenance and Safety of your Investment Property and its occupants in relation to Smoke Alarms, Blind Cords and Safety Switches.

NSW Legislation requires mandatory installation and maintenance of smoke alarms in residential rental properties. Ensuring smoke alarms are installed and working according to Australian Standards and The Building Code of Australia. Climbing ladders and changing batteries are outside the scope and experience of Property Managers and most Landlords, while liability issues preclude tenants from undertaking these works.

My question is do i require an electrician to check these yearly? I am more than capable of checking them in between tenants.
And it is a term of every residential tanancy agreement that the tenant is responsable for replacing the batteries in any smoke alarm during tenancy.
The NSW govt fire and rescue NSW states it is the building owners choice if they want hard wired or battery alarms.
any more info would be appreciated,
thanks

voodoo said:

Climbing ladders and changing batteries are outside the scope and experience of Property Managers and most Landlords, while liability issues preclude tenants from undertaking these works.

thanks

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Liability issues precluding tenants from changing batteries? I thought tenants were required to ensure smoke alarms are working during the lease period (eg. change batteries).

The requirements for installation/retrofitting of hardwired smoke detectors varies from state to state. WA requiring installation in all rental premises.

NSW FB

QLD Govt

QLD RTA

Victoria CFA

DFES WA "From 1 October 2009 mains powered smoke alarms must be fitted in all existing residential buildings prior to sale and when a new tenancy agreement is signed for rental properties. If there are no tenancy changes in rental properties, then mains powered smoke alarms must be fitted by 1 October 2011"

I'm a VIC PM and my research has found that any property built or extensively renovated with a completion date after August 1998 must have a hard wired smoke alarm, if there are hard wired in the property they cannot be replaced with battery operated alarms. Any property with a completion date prior to August 1998 can have battery operated alarms and alarms can then be replaced with battery operated alarms.

Please correct me if I'm wrong! That's the best info I could find when I was last looking .

Thankyou for the replies,
I spoke with an electrician today and he said he has never been called to check the working of smoke alarms. To check a smoke alarm all you do is push the button.
It also is the tenants responsability to keep the batteries renewed in all smoke alarms. This is in all tenancy agreements.

I will not be taking them up on their offer. I can check the alarms when tenants move out and I will be reminding the PM that the tenants are to change batteries when required..

thanks again for the replies.