QLD smoke alarm laws 2027: what landlords actually have to do
What changes on 1 January 2027
From 1 January 2027 every existing private home, townhouse, unit and manufactured home in Queensland must have interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms. Until then the rule has only been triggered by an event: a sale, a new lease or a lease renewal. After 1 January 2027 there is no trigger. The dwelling simply has to comply.
For landlords this matters in 2 situations:
- Your tenant has been in the property since before 2022 on a periodic (rolling) agreement that has never been renewed or extended. Nothing has forced an upgrade yet. 1 January 2027 will.
- You own a second property that is not currently rented (a holiday house, a home you are renovating, a place a family member lives in rent free). It must comply by 1 January 2027 regardless.
Source: Queensland Fire Department, Smoke alarms
What already applies to rentals
The Queensland Fire Department puts it plainly: if you are renting or re-renting a home, you must already have interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms installed. When an existing tenancy is renewed or extended, the obligation is on the lessor. So for most self-managing landlords the 2027 deadline is not the thing to watch. The next lease renewal is.
On top of the installation rule, there are 2 ongoing obligations:
- Within 30 days before the start of a tenancy, the lessor must test and clean each smoke alarm in the home. That means before every new tenancy and, in practice, before each renewal.
- During the tenancy, the tenant must test and clean each alarm at least once every 12 months. It is still worth putting this in your lease and reminding them, because a dead alarm is your problem at the next changeover.
Testing means pressing the test button. Cleaning means following the manufacturer's instructions, which for most alarms is a vacuum around the vents. No licence is needed to test or clean a domestic alarm.
Source: Queensland Fire Department, Smoke alarm FAQ (Fire Services Act 1990, sections 148B and 148E)
What counts as a compliant alarm
Every alarm in the dwelling must be:
- Photoelectric, and not contain an ionisation sensor
- Compliant with Australian Standard 3786-2014, which should be marked on the body of the alarm
- Interconnected with every other alarm in the dwelling, so when 1 goes off they all go off
- Either hardwired to mains power with a backup battery (installed by a licensed electrician), or powered by a non-removable 10-year battery (you can install these yourself)
And installed in these places:
- In every bedroom
- In hallways that connect bedrooms to the rest of the dwelling. If there is no hallway, between the bedrooms and the other parts of that storey
- On every storey. If a storey has no bedrooms, at least 1 alarm in the most likely path of travel to leave the dwelling
Source: Queensland Fire Department, Smoke alarms
The 10-year rule
Smoke alarms older than 10 years, or that fail to operate when tested, must be replaced. The manufacture date is normally printed on the back or side of the alarm. If you cannot find a date, treat the alarm as due. Alarms installed in the first wave of upgrades in 2017 start reaching 10 years in 2027, so a property that was made compliant early can fall out of compliance in the same year the deadline lands.
Source: Queensland Fire Department, Smoke alarm FAQ
What happens if you miss it
The Queensland Fire Department states that property owners and landlords proven not to have complied with the legislation will receive an infringement notice. Tenants can also complain directly to the Fire Department about non-compliant alarms. Separately from the fine, a non-compliant alarm system is the kind of thing that gets raised in a dispute, an insurance claim or a Tribunal hearing, and it is hard to argue you did not know when the rule has been public since 2017.
Source: Queensland Fire Department, Smoke alarms
A simple plan for a self-managing landlord
- This week: walk through each property (or ask your tenant to send photos) and check every bedroom, hallway and storey has an alarm, that each alarm says photoelectric and AS 3786-2014, and that pressing the test button on 1 sets off all of them
- Note the manufacture date on each alarm. Anything from 2016 or earlier, or undated, goes on the replacement list
- If anything is missing or not interconnected, book an electrician for hardwired alarms or buy an interconnected 10-year battery set and install it. Keep the receipt and a dated photo of each alarm
- Put 3 dates in your calendar: 30 days before each lease start or renewal (test and clean), 12 months from now (ask the tenant to confirm they tested), and the 10-year anniversary of each alarm's manufacture date
- Record the test in writing each time. A dated note or email to the tenant is enough
Smoke alarms are 1 of about 30 things you are meant to track
Bond lodgement, rent increase limits, entry notice periods, minimum housing standards, pool certificates, safety switches, pet requests. The free Landlord Minder checklist puts every Queensland date and obligation on 1 page with a link to the official source for each.
Read the free checklist Get reminded before each dateFrequently asked
Do I need interconnected alarms if my tenant has been there since 2019 and we never signed a new lease?
The rule has not been triggered for you yet, but 1 January 2027 applies to every dwelling. Upgrade before then. If the tenancy is renewed or extended before that, the obligation applies at that point.
Can I use battery alarms instead of hardwired?
Yes, if they are photoelectric, interconnected, AS 3786-2014 and have a non-removable 10-year battery. If the home already has hardwired alarms, replacements must be hardwired too, so check what is there before you buy.
Who pays for the upgrade in a rental?
The landlord. The Fire Department says the landlord is responsible for the installation of alarms that comply with the legislation.
Does my tenant have to let me in to install them?
Entry to a Queensland rental still needs the right notice under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act. Give written notice on the prescribed entry form (Form 9) with at least 48 hours notice for smoke alarm work. The entry notice rules are explained here.
Is this different in units and townhouses?
The same alarm rules apply inside each dwelling. Shared areas of a strata building are covered by separate building fire safety rules, which the body corporate handles.
Related: How often can you increase rent in QLD? The 12-month rule and notice periods · Entry notice rules for QLD landlords: 48 hours, 7 days and the 8am to 6pm rule