Do battery operated fire alarms need to be interlinked? Is fire alarm certificate company ripping me off?

[Fresharmpits]

Please someone share some knowledge for me? Do battery operated fire alarms need to be interlinked in a residential property of two floors (upstairs and downstairs).

I had a fire alarm test company come round. They said they would be there from 8-1, they were there at 4pm after they asked to instead cancel and do it for another day (I said no as I'd taken time off work for this appointment). I waited 3 hours and was not happy. It turns out my tenants put up extra fire alarms themselves, which is fair enough. The testing man teated the 2 fire alarms and 2 carbon monoxide detectors I put up and paid to be tested. We both left.

The next day the company called me and said I need to pay for the extra 3 alarms in the property that the tenants put in that the testing person did not test! Another £100! I refused. They refused to send the certificate through. I requested a refund. After many minutes they said they'd send it through. After I chased for another full day they sent it through and said the system failed as the alarms need to be interlinked. I called to understand this better and they said I need a grade B alarm system. On the report it says grade D LD3. I can't find this guidance anywhere. I called the relevant department in the council and they said they don't know!

Can anyone help me please?????? This has been far more of a nightmare than it needs to be I think!!!!

Are you in Scotland as there are laws on interlinked fire alarms here ?

We are looking at smoke detectors right now. It appears Scotland has new/tighter legislation, are you there by any chance?

No, in South London!

Did you try telling the testing company that those alarms have been/will be removed?

In Scotland they definitely do need to be interlinked. With a carbon monoxide and a heat alarm in the kitchen.

Are you in Scotland?

Our posts crossed in the post!

I don't think alarms in rented accommodation in England have to be linked alarms. It could be for HMOs but I couldn't find anything.

I'd suggest you phone a different alarm company in England and ask (as though you may want a quote).

I told them I didn't put them up and that the testing person did not test them (he couldn't have even if he wanted to as the ceiling are 2.8 metres high and he did not have a ladder), and crucially that they are surplus as the ones I put up met the number required by regulations. It all felt very money grabbing and it felt like I was talking to someone in another country (lag on the conversation etc). Just. very 'don't care' attitude. When they tried to cancel me initially I thought 'oh gosh, this is a scam'.

I said to them 'I am worried you will fail me now that i won't pay for tests that weren't done' and they assured me they wouldn't. Then this!

Thank you. I don't believe so either.

Requirements for Fire Detection Systems in HMOs (safelincs.co.uk) this site suggests the rules differ if it's a newly built HMO vs existing

You'd find it useful to look up via your council website for the lettings Fire Safety Standards for London, as you need to know your obligations for the LA as well as generally (and it could be relevant whether you rent to a family unit or to a house share, which could be deemed an HMO - those definitely need interlinked alarms).

ETA: At least one London council says all private rentals should have hardwired & linked alarms.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smoke-and-carbon-monoxide-alarms-explanatory-booklet-for-landlords/the-smoke-and-carbon-monoxide-alarm-england-regulations-2015-qa-booklet-for-the-private-rented-sector-landlords-and-tenants#:~:text=The%20Smoke%20and%20Carbon%20Monoxide%20Alarm%20(Amendment)%20Regulations%202022%20will,room%20used%20as%20living%20accommodation.

I called Southwark (relevant council) and they said 'no, i don't think so'. I looked online nd couldn't find that anywhere.

I'll look again.

The Southwark Website is rubbish, but if you search it, it's normally more helpful than the people (or so I've found at work).

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/home-owners-services/private-home-owners-and-landlords/private-rented-property-licensing

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/home-owners-services/private-home-owners-and-landlords/private-rented-property-licensing?chapter=7

It says all licensed properties (areas listed in the first link) must comply with LACORS guidance - which it links to - and the general principles include always having interconnected alarms (pg 11) and pg 24 states that all mains powered alarms must be interconnected.

I'm not a Fire Safety bod (beyond being a Fire Marshall at work), but I do a lot of sifting through multiple bits of guidance, statute and data to find stuff in my day job. Have a good read and see what applies to your property/location/specifics.

Thank you. I persevered with your encouragement, and for my area, it just says 'must have fire alarms fitted', nothing more.

Thank you!

Here's the precise government legislation:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smoke-and-carbon-monoxide-alarms-explanatory-booklet-for-landlords/the-smoke-and-carbon-monoxide-alarm-england-regulations-2015-qa-booklet-for-the-private-rented-sector-landlords-and-tenants

Nothing about interlinked, nor being mains fed.

From my experience, the LL is usually responsible for testing prior to tenancy start. This should be written into the inventory. In my current house the inventory was done in front of me, he didn't test them, and wrote that he did. So that got me writing 'err, no' on my comments.

If you want to be certain, test them yourself.

It's usual to write in a tenancy agreement that the tenant is responsible for testing alarms once a month themselves.

Even these mains-powered ones have an expiry; usually ten years. After which, I suppose they become less reliable? Anyway, they usually have a printed sticker on the side with an expiry date.