My property manager had sent me the usual quarterly inspection report.
AGAIN I see that the smoke detectors need replacing. The base is still attached to the ceiling but the rest has disappeared. 3 are in this state. Same thing happened 6 months ago and I replaced them.
I can guess what is happening. When the battery needs replacing the thing goes BEEEEEP every 15mins or so. Tennants, not having a ladder, bash the crap out of it with a long handle broom. I know this is what has happened cos Ive done it myself. These 11ft ceilings are a pain for smoke detectors even with a ladder.
I spose I could place them lower, on the wall but its not a good look.
oh well the tennants are perfect in every other way so I am not gunna be making an issue of it. Praps they are cheaper buying them by the carton.
Hi Milly
To fix the problem of the smoke alarm going beeping when the battery gets low you need to make sure the battery is changed annually (if you dont already do this) A good time to do it is when daylight saviings ends because this is when the weather starts getting colder and the battery will start lose charge quicker.
It is worrying that your tenants would rather bash the smoke alarm of rather than change the battery. I am a proffesional firefighter and I see smoke alarms as being essential in all homes, like seat belts in cars.
I might be a good idea to give the tenants some information about smoke alarms. you should be able to get this from your local fire station or from their web site. A starting point for you here is http://www.nswfb.nsw.gov.au
Keep those smoke alarms maitained[biggrin]
Cheers
JohnHi Milly
Something else you should know about not having working smoke detectors in you IP, your LL insurance might not cover the property in the event of a fire.
Also you can put a condition in the lease/contract that the tenant must maintain the smoke detectors.
You could install 240V detectors this might help stop the tenant bashing the $#@! out of them but they still have to have the back up battery changed.A life has to be worth more than 20 bucks or a six-dollar battery as the case maybe.
Money can’t buy everything
what it can’t buy I don’t want![eh]Hi Milly,
Just thought I’d let you know that you are not the only one with this problem. We have an IP also with 11ft ceilings and the smoke detector is hanging from the ceiling by its wire now.
It has been bashed to death previously for beeping and being out of reach – unfortunately the tenant was not particularly good at aiming with the broom and there are a few broom-handle size holes in the ceiling around the smoke detector.
As bad as it looks hanging down by the wire it now has its battery changed, doesn’t beep, doesn’t get bashed and hopefully will work if it needs to.
The tenant was responsible for pulling it down from the ceiling to a more reachable height so I guess an electrician should check it out (so long as there is a “leave it dangling from the ceiling” understanding… if this is even a legal way to operate a smoke detector).
I guess the other option is for us to take responsibility for changing the battery on a regular basis so the tenant does not have to worry about it.
Kind Regards,
SonjaMilly: a possible solution would be to have a wired smoke alarm fitted by an electrician to the mains. (no more battery woes)
Advise the tenants that if the alarm goes off (burnt toast, etc) to open some doors to disperse the smoke.
What do people think? My partner’s sister has just moved into her newly constructed house and its smoke alarms are mains wired.
More stuff on the voigtstr at http://users.bigpond.net.au/voigtstr
I agree with the 240v alarm. I have a sunroom that has cathedral ceilings (no space for wires) and is 5.5 meters high at the highest point and the fire alarm, installed by the electrician and approved by the council is up the wall at some 3 meters off the floor.
As for tenants breaking the alarm because the battery is flat, I hate to see what they do if the burglar alarm goes off, take with an ax to the housing?
Replace the alarms with a model who’s battery can be tested with a torch, they cost only $9, and charge the tenant for the damage otherwise next time the window sticks in summer and they cannot open they will break the glass and blame you.[baaa]
Last week a tenant in a block of flats I have in Queensland committed suicide. The agent refused my offer of legal advise from the local solicitor since “He ( the solicitor) has only lived here for the last 2 years, we now better”, yet added that the rent was paid of until the 9th of September and there was nothing they could do since the police wouldn’t let them in for cleaning up.
Moronity seems to be innate in most real estate agents and their managers.The more residential properties I have the more I love commercial properties…
“What you want in your life occasionally shows up…
what you must have… always does.” . . . . . Doug Firebaugh
May God Prosper you.[biggrin]
Marcsorry if i’m being ignorant, however i used to educate people on fire safety and was always told that smoke detectors should always be on the ceiling or at the top of the wall, otherwise the smoke has to fill the room enough to drop to the level of the smoke detector giving people less time to get out.
Is there some legal obligation to install smoke alarms in IPs? I don’t think it is a requirement in rented properties. Tenants should be allowed to install their own which will make them more considerate of their treatment!
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