If you own and live in your Queensland home, new smoke alarm compliance laws are just over a year away...are you ready?

This isn’t just a rule for landlords anymore. If you live in your home, you’re affected. From 1 Jan 2027, every bedroom, hallway, and level must have photoelectric, interconnected smoke alarms - either hardwired or 10-year battery powered.

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Hi everybody - George Sourris, Empire Legal.

Today's topic: QLD's new 2027 smoke alarm laws deadline is closer than you think!

If you own and live in a home in Queensland, you should pay attention. The smoke alarm rules are changing and the new obligations will land on 1st of January 2027, for owner occupiers. That's just over one year away.

Here's a short history on how we got there and why it matters.

The journey so far.

From 1st of January 2017, Queensland Laws required that new dwellings or homes subject to major renovation must have smoke alarms that are photoelectric, i.e. using visible smoke detection rather than just ionisation, interconnected, so that if one alarm goes off, all alarms go off, and hardwired or powered by a non-removable 10 year battery. This was the first stage of tightening the safety standards.

Fast forward five years to 2022 - rental properties and properties for sale. So from the first of Jan 2022, these rules also extended to lots and dwellings that are being leased or sold. For example, rental properties need photoelectric alarms in each bedroom and hallway interconnected, compliant with Australian safety standards. Agents, property managers and owners had to scramble to get their rentals upgraded.

Now the next hurdle - 2027 - owner occupiers and all remaining homes.

In just 12 months time, we reached the final phase, 1st of January 2027 - all private dwellings in Queensland, houses, townhouses, units, et cetera, will need to comply with the full set of requirements; interconnected photo, electric alarms in every bedroom hallway, on each story compliant with Australian standards. In short, if you live in your home, not just rent in out, you now need to get ready.

It's not just a box ticking exercise. There are three key reasons why you'll want to understand and act.

One - safety. There's a strong body of evidence showing photoelectric interconnected alarms significantly increase your odds of safely escaping a home fire.

Two - legal and compliance. These new rules are embedded in the legislation and regulations. They're not "nice to have", they're the law. If you sell your home saying smoke alarms are compliant, you must be able to back that up.

Three - practical timing. Many owner occupies assume the new rules only apply to landlords or new builds. That's no longer the case. If your home hasn't been upgraded yet, your risk being caught out as we approach the deadline in 2027.

What owner occupies should do right now.

Here's our advice from Empire Legal. Review your current smoke alarms: check their type - photoelectric vs ionisation. Installation location - so every bedroom, hallway, each level interconnection, power source being hardwired or 10 year battery. If your alarms predate 10 years or are not interconnected or using ionisation technology, plan for an upgrade.

The earlier you act, the smoother and possibly the cheaper it will be. If you're selling in the near future, ensure your alarms are already compliant with the safety standard. Agents and sellers should talk about this before launching a property so that delays don't arise at settlement. Property professionals, agents and conveyancers should flag this with their owner occupier clients now.

Compliance queries should be asked early and documentation retained, so installation certificates, compliance checks. Don't leave this until the last minute. Industry feedback from the 2022 deadline shows a last minute rush that can lead to high costs, limited installer availability, and increased risk of non-compliance.

The bottom line.

The new smoke alarm legislation for Queensland may feel like someone else's problem, but really it isn't. If you own and live in the property, this affects you. 1st of January 2027, full suite of requirements apply. As your Queensland property legal advisors, at Empire Legal, although this is of course general advice, we're telling you, be proactive.

Review your alarms, engage the right electrician or compliance provider, talk to your agent if you're selling. Don't assume "I'll get to it later" will suffice. Maybe consider getting it sorted now whilst the electricians aren't fully booked out. Because come the end of 2026, people will be scrambling to get their smoke alarms upgraded to comply with the new laws, and that will probably mean paying a bit more money.

By the way guys, I just recorded a podcast episode with Thomas Metos from Metos Electrical Contractors (MEC). He's an expert in smoke alarm installation and operates in Brisbane. We speak about this topic a bit more in the podcast we recently recorded. Here is the link - you can jump in and have a listen.

Please like, subscribe and share. Share this with a friend. A year will go and compliance will be upon us.

Thanks guys. We'll see you next week.


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Ladies and gentlemen, please keep in mind that all advice is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. This is authorised by George Sourris, Empire Legal, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

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Note: all information is general in nature and as each matter is unique please contact our office for tailored advices: the above does not constitute legal advice.