Parliament to hear landlord fire safety bill

The House of Common is preparing for the second reading of a private members bill stating that all landlords would be required by law to ensure that their properties are equipped with working smoke alarms.

The new law would mean that all landlords of public and private properties would be responsible for fitting and maintaining mains wired smoke alarm systems at the beginning of every new tenancy.  Once fitted, this responsibility to maintain the fire alarms would pass to the tenant.

Currently, landlords are required to provide safe gas and electrical supplies but in many cases are not required by law to provide smoke alarms when it is a known fact that there are many more deaths from fire each year than by the effects of gas, carbon monoxide and electricity.

Dozens of lives are lost each year to fire related accidents in the home.  Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer, Lee Howell is giving his full support to the bill and has said “It has been proved time and time again that working smoke alarms can save lives. It makes such a difference – in some cases a life and death difference”.

Mr Howell urges the public to contact their MPs to ask them to support the bill that will be heard later this month.