New legislation is due to take effect from 1 February 2022, requiring all homes in Scotland to meet certain requirements regarding smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms. Each homeowner has a legal obligation to comply with the legislation.
By 1 February 2022, to meet the so-called “tolerable standard”, every home is obliged to have:
- One smoke alarm in the room in which you spend most of the day;
- One smoke alarm in every circulation space on each storey, such as hallways and landings;
- One heat alarm in the kitchen;
- One carbon monoxide detector in each room of your house which has one or more of the following: a boiler, heater, stove or flue.
Further details about the new rules, including the types of alarms you need to install, can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/fire-and-smoke-alarms-in-scottish-homes/
If CR Smith is to supply and/or fit CR Smith products in your home, and regardless of whether the CR Smith installation is before or after 1 February 2022, it is vital we discuss and agree whether you or CR Smith are to be responsible for ensuring that you buy and install compliant smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms.
While CR Smith will be happy to quote for and attend to any mandatory compliance work, you MUST note that, if CR Smith are not paid to supply and fit the compliant alarms, you alone will remain responsible for (a) ensuring your home complies with the new legislation; and (b) any delays or extra costs caused if any building warrant application is delayed or refused due to non-compliance. If you fail to buy and install the required alarms, you also accept that you will remain solely responsible for all associated risks.
These risks may include, but are not limited, to:
- Damage to your property in the event of a fire
- Injury and/or death of any person owing to a fire or carbon-monoxide poisoning
- Your home and contents insurance being invalidated or your insurance provider not paying out or reducing any payment in the event of a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning (you would need to check the terms and conditions of your home and contents insurance)
- Any penalty or enforcement action by your local authority as a result of non-compliance
- Any delay or problems in the sale or re-mortgage of your home as a result of your home not meeting the tolerable standard.
If you wish to instruct CR Smith to supply and/or install the smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detectors to the remainder of your property as part of a Living Space contract, please discuss this with your designer or contact sales.operations@crsmith.co.uk. We will be happy to discuss this with you to understand your precise requirements and advise you about the service we offer.
