short term rentals... electrical, smoke detector rules.

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › short term rentals... electrical, smoke detector rules.

blakamin

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#143685 23-Apr-2014 19:14

I'm staying in a "book a bach" this week. After the fish tank light in the place made a awesome burning smell, I started to have a better look around and have found no smoke detectors and the fuse box has no circuit breakers. Is this legal in a rental property in NZ? I'll try to upload a pic, but only have mobile devices.

Edit: pic. http://m.imgur.com/KImjnlz

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113 posts

Master Geek

#1030051 23-Apr-2014 19:36

The fuse board has fuses in it, they're the white ceramic things - so it's covered there
Smoke alarms - not aware of any rules, but I may be wrong

andrewNZ

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#1030054 23-Apr-2014 19:38

Smoke detectors and circuit breakers aren't a requirement in older buildings unless you do alterations that make them a requirement.

This is probably perfectly legit.

Edit for clarity (in older buildings).

MikeB4

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#1030055 23-Apr-2014 19:41

There not legal requirement for smoke alarms in this situation

blakamin

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#1030056 23-Apr-2014 19:42

Wow! Thanks guys. Every rental in Aussie has to have smoke detectors. Not sure about circuit breakers, but every one I've been in over the last 15 years hasn't had old ceramic fuses.

blakamin

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#1030057 23-Apr-2014 19:44

petercad: The fuse board has fuses in it, they're the white ceramic things - so it's covered there

yeah, I know what they are, just amazed they don't have circuit breakers considering the other gear in the fuse box.

blakamin

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#1030058 23-Apr-2014 19:45

KiwiNZ: There not legal requirement for smoke alarms in this situation

What situation does require them?

andrewNZ

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#1030059 23-Apr-2014 19:47

blakamin:
KiwiNZ: There not legal requirement for smoke alarms in this situation

What situation does require them?

New builds require them, and significant alterations to living/sleeping areas require them.

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Aredwood

3885 posts

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#1030060 23-Apr-2014 19:47

There is no law that says "rental properties must have smoke alarms" At least as far as private rental accommodation is concerned. There are different rules applying to commercial buildings like hotels. And other buildings that are part of the building WOF system. (Large apartment buildings ect).

If consented building work has been done recently then it may be a requirement under that consent for smoke alarms to be fitted.

blakamin

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#1030063 23-Apr-2014 19:51

Like I said before...

WOW.

I'm stunned.

Thanks all... thread can be deleted now.

Elpie

1304 posts

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#1030750 24-Apr-2014 18:01

andrewNZ:
blakamin:
KiwiNZ: There not legal requirement for smoke alarms in this situation

What situation does require them?

New builds require them, and significant alterations to living/sleeping areas require them.

And some councils go stupid with requirements whenever a building permit is issued, regardless of the extent of the work done or what part of the house is altered.
I've just had to install a third alarm after council decreed that a wired-in monitored alarm in the hallway and battery alarm in the bedroom area was not enough. The Fire Service, who installed it for me, said it was total overkill as the two alarms fully covered every part of the house. council's response was that I needed one in my bedroom in case I used an electric blanket and it caught fire. Pfft. Ridiculous.

Interesting topic though. I feel all rentals should have both alarms and fire extinguishers. Given that battery-operated alarms cost less than $15 and the Fire Service will install any alarm for anyone free of charge (and come back to check & change batteries) there's simply no excuse not to have alarms in any property.

blakamin

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#1030751 24-Apr-2014 18:03

Elpie: I feel all rentals should have both alarms and fire extinguishers. Given that battery-operated alarms cost less than $15 and the Fire Service will install any alarm for anyone free of charge (and come back to check & change batteries) there's simply no excuse not to have alarms in any property.

That's what I was thinking.

Btw, a bit stupid the council can make rules even tho fire service says otherwise. I suppose they've got to keep themselves in a job somehow.

NZtimbo

165 posts

Master Geek

#1031137 25-Apr-2014 14:48

Being in the Fire Protection industry for 27 years myself I've seen many many differing interpretations of the regulations.

Current requirements for rented sleeping accommodation buildings, which a batch is, is that it must have dometsic smoke detectors installed as a minimum unless due to occupant numbers they require a full Fire Alarm. This is NEW buildings, unfortunately there is no requirement for the owner to upgrade an existing building but one would think for the cost a a few domestic smoke detectors and the life safety of your paying customers they would install a couple. Here is the Acceptable Solution requirement that if you adopt this when building new you are deemed to comply with the Building Code, clicky.

Tim

Elpie

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#1031190 25-Apr-2014 15:55

Thanks NZtimbo :-)

After reading through that it seems that council was in overkill mode. My wired alarm is well within 3m of every bedroom. I had an ionisation smoke alarm (with hush) in the dining room which separates the kitchen from the rest of the house and I had a fire extinguisher and fire blanket in the kitchen. Council made me add a photoelectric alarm in the master bedroom as well. This means two alarms are within 3m of every bedroom. They must have decided my 1928 house was a new build ;)

SepticSceptic

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#1034121 30-Apr-2014 16:55

Dunno if this is Urban Myth or no, but if you (as a landlord) install battery operated smoke detectors in a rental property , and the tenants remove the batteries because they are either flat, or used in another appliance, and there is a fire and your rental property is badly damaged / destroyed, you are not covered by insurance, and are liable for both your rental and your tenants property ?

ubergeeknz

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Vocus

#1034122 30-Apr-2014 16:58

I know in Aussie a chap came around every 6mo and changed the batteries and tested all our smoke alarms.

Maybe just something to suggest to the owner.

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