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Social Housing Provider - fire detection?

alanblaby
I've been searching for the requirements for a Social Housing provider for smoke/fire detection, but am struggling to find any facts.

It appears that Social Housing providers are not subject to the same rules/Laws/guidelines as the Private Rented Market.


Aico publish their own interpretation of BS 5839, which states that rental properties now require smoke detection in each escape route/kitchen and 'main' living room.

But, does this apply to Social Housing?

And, if not, how do Social Housing providers get an exemption from the current requirements?

Any links to current requirements would be very welcome, there are lots out there that are 3 or more years old, and dont take into account the 2020 updates to BS5839.
  • 0
    Social housing providers do not have to install smoke alarms and from experience I can confirm some do not install smoke alarms.


    Housing Association homes are considered to be less of a fire risk than private rentals, as the HA are better property managers and have maintenance regimes in place. Private landlords have to provide smoke alarms because they and their letting agents are generally fail to maintain the properties to a good standard and again from experience I can state that less than half of privately rented homes in England have smoke alarms that are fit for purpose.


    If there is a fire the fire investigator can only confirm that there was an alarm installed, after it has burnt they cannot determine if it actually worked and was fit for purpose.


    Andy B.
  • 0
    Thanks.

    I've been working for a Housing Assn. for a while now.

    One of the two QS's has taken it upon himself to now ask for a detector in the living room.

    I've asked him about what guidelines we work to, but cannot get an answer. Now he is following the Aico guidebook for private rented houses, which, on the surface is a good thing.

    A lot of our houses do have at least 2 detectors, and when vacated are always upgraded to heat in the kitchen, and sometimes a CO detector too.

    This isnt a problem at all with a vacant property, but can cause us an awful lot of work in a habited property, getting it wired in, as well as causing problems with the tenants smoking in that room, and setting the alarms off.

    An awfully high percentage of tenants smoke, so on the one hand it is extra protection for a fag causing a fire, but there is the chance the head will be removed anyway, due to sensing the smoke from the cigarettes, causing a nuisance for the Tenant , and being taken off, affording no protection at all.
  • 0
    I had a job sheet come through to me to replace a smoke alarm in a HA flat,  I phoned the office and said it must be an alarm left by a previous tenant,  because the HA didn't have it installed. 

    After a quick debate it was decided that I would replace it  because the job sheet had been issued, so we would get paid for it.

    But generally that HA didn't install alarms.
  • 0
    Another oddity,  it is deemed acceptable to install to install smoke and heat alarms with replaceable batteries in HA shelter housing, because it is assumed that there will be a maintenance regime to replace them.

    However in other classes of housing only alarms with non-replaceable batteries should be installed.
  • 0
    Guess who did the Aico training online during the last lockdown?

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