Private Sector Landlords are required to have at least one smoke alarm installed on every storey of properties they let out.

Landlords are also required to install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a ‘fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker'. This means that rooms with gas fires, gas or oil-fired boilers as well as coal or wood fired appliances will need to have a carbon monoxide alarm installed.

The law requires that the alarms are in provided in working order at the start of each new tenancy, and landlords must repair or replace alarms that are not in good working order if advised by the tenant of their representative - this includes replacing batteries where necessary.

Where Council Officers have reasonable grounds to think that a landlord has breached their legal duty, they must serve a remedial notice on the landlord requiring them to be provided.

If a landlord fails to comply with a remedial notice the Council must do the works themselves and will serve a penalty charge notice of up to £5,000 (£1,000 for a first offence in Stafford).

The law requires that the Council publish a statement of reasons that will be followed when deciding the amount of a penalty charge. This statement can be found in the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations - Statement of Principles.

More information can be found in the Smoke and carbon monoxide: alarms explanatory booklet for landlords.