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There has been much talk about fire safety regulations following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower four years ago, as the government promised to review Scotland’s building and fire safety regulatory frameworks and introduce new legislation to ensure that everyone is protected, whether they own or rent their home.

The new fire safety regulations will come into force next year, meaning that as of February 2022, all homes will need to have:

• one smoke alarm in the most frequently used room,
• one smoke alarm in every circulation space on each storey (e.g. hallways and landings), and
• a heat alarm in each kitchen.

All alarms need to be ceiling mounted and interlinked. Additionally, where there is a carbon-fuelled appliance (such as boilers, fires and heaters) or a flue, a carbon monoxide detector is also required – this does not need to be linked to the fire alarms.

There are two types of alarms that comply with the new standard:

• Tamper proof long-life lithium battery alarms, which can be fitted by householders themselves, or
• Mains-wired alarms, which are cheaper than tamper proof long-life battery alarms, but should be installed by a qualified electrician.

Both types of alarm can be interlinked by radio frequency.

All homes in Scotland will be covered by the new standard and are required to meet the new legislation by February 2022. Therefore it is important for homeowners and landlords to understand the changes in legislation relating to fire and smoke alarms and take action where necessary. Installing alarms at the earliest opportunity will of course provide improved fire safety in your home, and non-compliance can impact house sales as these fire safety requirements will now form part of any Home Report when homeowners come to sell their home.