Is my landlord being unreasonable with the bloody fire alarm tests

[poptartprincess]

I've been living in my flat for 9 months now and there has never been a consistent fire alarm testing schedule. There is a big sign pinned up in the stairwell stating there will be a weekly fire alarm test at 4pm on Sundays. That was fine but not once since we've lived here has it went off on schedule. They're huge industrial fire alarms and are really loud so we always panic when they go off and my daughter is terrified of them. We never know if it's a serious test or not. But the last few weeks it's gotten ridiculous. 2 weeks ago it went off at 8pm, which we thought was quite late but we let it go. Then last week it went off at 6:45am and scared us all awake. We didn't know it was a test so we piled out of the door half asleep in our pajamas with our baby in the freezing cold before we were told "oh it was just a test". And now tonight it went off at 9:30pm. It woke my daughter after an hour and a half of soothing her ((teething))- but again just a test. Is my landlord being unreasonable? It's driving me nuts!

Yanbu. Fuck that.

Completely unreasonable, you need to have a word about this. Yes it's important to test then, but why not at a sensible time, or even the scheduled time? I think you should email them directly so that you have a record of your complaint too.

Points out to him that so many tests are actually putting his tenants at risk. They will start to ignore the alarm, and if it is real they could die.
Boy who cried wolf, etc.
Not to mention your right to quiet enjoyment (literally!)

Absolutely unreasonable hours to test the bloody fire alarm. Why so often! Once a month should be enough! FFS. It shouldn’t fault that easily unless it’s an old building. Not sure what your codes are though.

I would make a complaint to the landlord and if that doesn’t get you anywhere to whomever oversees tenancy’s there. That is infringing on your enjoyment of the property.

It needs to be on the same day at the same time every single week and ideally during the day! It is currently putting people at risk with the inconsistency.

Outrageously unreasonable.

So yes, obviously if it were a real fire it might come at any time but these tests are ridiculous.

That is insane

Move out! Complain. Loudly and vehemently.

That's ridiculous. I don't like the idea of 4pm on Sunday either. Quiet afternoon nap time.

How many tenants?

They're being dicks... And very likely to start the 'cry wolf phenomenon'.... Of course when you real alarm rings tenant's will assume its a test....

This reason alone is why it should be done at the same time regularly....

If they want to actually test evacuation procedures (shades of basil fawlty here).. Theu should say.... We are testing evacuation procedures... This will happen between 2 and 6pm today... People won't be hanging around expectantly... But it will mean you will evacuate IF a real alarm sounded at 5am.

Ours is 10am Monday mornings...

I'll definitely be getting in touch then. It also went off this morning at around 8. Not sure if it was genuine but I'm assuming not as it went on for 5 second, off and then on for 3.

I would back everything up in writing.

What you're describing is risky... It's promoting cry wolf response which is dangerous.. (as in this morning... You're unsure whether it's a proper alarm or not)

Sounds like our office!

I would complain. A test should be conducted periodically just to ensure the alarms work but residents should be informed of when they will happen (ideally a set time and day) and it should be done during sociable hours, not at 6.45am! When they're tested, there should be no need to evacuate as a test alarm should only sound for a matter of seconds to ensure a response. Your LL is putting the tenants in danger by setting off the alarm outside of the notified time, not to mention causing a nuisance by activating it during unsocial hours.

The other reason why people need to know when the test is going to be: if it doesn't go off, how do you know that it SHOULD have, and hasn't because it isn't working?

OP your landlord is being unreasonable and dangerous.

I would see who you can escalate your complain to if your landlord refuses to listen after you have complained in writing as he is putting the entire blocks lives at risk.