As a landlord, there are many laws, rules and regulations that you must keep in mind. In fact, the vast number of small but important things that must be considered is one of the biggest reasons to hire a property management firm. Before getting too heavily involved in real estate, though, it helps to familiarise yourself with some of the most important facts. In Queensland, there are many laws regarding smoke alarms; read on below to learn more.

Smoke Alarms and the Law -

The Fire and Rescue Service Act 1990 mandates that every home and unit in Queensland be fitted with smoke alarms. The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, or QFRS, pushed for this law in order to cut back the number of fire-related tragedies that happen each and every year in Queensland. As you can easily surmise, then, every investment property that you own must have a smoke alarm.
The law doesn't end there, though, especially when it comes to rental properties. In actual fact, this same act mandates that all homeowners are required to test and clean all smoke alarms at the commencement or the renewal of each lease. They must also replace the batteries at that time. During the period where a property is occupied, it is the tenants responsibility to ensure that the smoke alarms are cleaned and tested; they must also replace the batteries in their smoke alarms as needed. It is important to remind tenants of this fact when they are about to sign a lease with you.

Additional Information -

There is another important law that concerns smoke alarms and rental properties. The Residential Tenancies and Rooming Act 2008 made a provision that allows lessors to enter a premises in order to install or maintain its smoke alarms. However, landlords must give tenants at least 24-hour entry notice before doing so. The aim of these laws and regulations is for a larger percentage of all rental properties to maintain smoke alarms in working order; in turn, the number of tragedies and other problems will, hopefully, go down.

At the conclusion of each day, it makes sense that all smoke alarms are maintained in rental properties. As a landlord, it behooves you to maintain your rental properties; if they burn to the ground, your profits are going to go up in smoke. At the same time, tenants naturally want to live in a safe and hazard-free environment. Nobody wants anyone else getting hurt or killed in a fire, and smoke alarms go a very long way towards eliminating such a possibility. Installing and maintaining a smoke alarm is quite easy; replacing its batteries on a regular basis is, too. Ultimately, it's well worth it.