I researched this information after our rental-home smoke-detector beeping beeped at 2.30am yesterday morning. At the time I also asked on Facebook (in a KI Q&A group) what should be done in the short term: All my good friends on Kangaroo Island suggested the 9Volt battery needed replacing. Yes, there is one inside the device.
Here’s where the issue lies:
- We believe the noise was the actual smoke detector noise, not the battery-dying noise.
That was worrying, which is why I went straight to FB to ask in the forums. I imagined someone else might have experienced this and knew exactly what to do. Many great responses were provided, and I learnt a lot. There’s no saying if we were wrong or right in our decision, but I feel we did the right thing. - We only moved into the house 3 weeks ago. Which got me thinking.
Should it be responsibility of the tenant leaving OR the new tenant to replace the battery? Maybe the previous tenant should be required to indicate on the ‘final paperwork’ when they replaced the smoke-detector battery?
Mid afternoon, after all electrical problems in our house were fixed, I found these three websites – and was amazed by the information so much that I felt it prudent that all SA home owners, landlords, and renters should read and know. As I suspected we all have obligations and rights, all of which are designed to save lives:
1. CFS \ Fire Safety \ Smoke Alarms
Home owners are required, by Regulation 76B under the Development Act, 1993, to install battery powered or hard-wired (240 volt mains powered) smoke alarms.
- Houses built since 1 January 1995 must be equipped with hard-wired smoke alarms.
- All other houses must be equipped with at least 9 volt battery powered smoke alarms.
[MY TWO CENTS] If you like to keep the house, or getting the rent on it, put in the hard-wired option! [/END]
- When a house with 9 volt battery powered smoke alarms is sold the new owner has six months to install alarms which are hard-wired to the 240 volt power supply or powered by 10 year life, non-replaceable, non-removable batteries.
Penalties apply for non-compliance.
2. Our State Government provide a simplistic website layout for anyone, either on a computer or smartphone, to obtain the regulatory information easily and quickly provide/explain to your landlord to prove your case.
3. The Real Estate Institute of South Australia also provide quick explanations and simple tips and traps to ensure the correct information is available.
Our issue (and a few others) was resolved within 12 hours. I hope your household wiring, smoke detectors, house alarm, and any other electrical items are repaired or replaced in a timely manner to ensure your house/contents/family are not at risk!
Creativity & Artwork of Stephen Mitchell 
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