The new legislation means it is now compulsory for private landlords to fit smoke alarms on every floor of the property as well as carbon monoxide alarms in properties which burn solid fuels.
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“We will take action against any landlords that do not comply with the new laws”.
She has fought tirelessly to highlight the dangers of carbon monoxide since fumes claimed the life of her 10-year-old son Dominic in Fartown in 2004.
These same regulations also introduce a new prescribed form for the notice that a landlord must serve on a tenant when requiring possession of the property back from the tenant under sections 21(1) or (4) of the Housing Act 1988.
“To effectively test CO alarms and ensure landlords meet the new legislation by having working alarms they need to test the sensor and not rely on the so called Test Button which just tests the battery, buzzer and electronic circuit”.
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said: “We’re determined to create a bigger, better and safer private rented sector”.
The second set of regulations coming into effect on 1 October 2015 introduce new legal requirements for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
“Fire kills and people are at least four times more likely to die in a fire in the home if there’s no working smoke alarm”.
The laws are part of wider Government moves to ensure there are sufficient measures in place to protect tenants, while at the same time avoiding needless red-tape. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service had long pushed for a change in the law.
However the legislation has also been widely criticised for being somewhat vague and therefore increasing the chance of misinterpretation leading to unnecessary fines for landlords.
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“Any complaints from tenants where they feel their landlord is in breach of the regulations once in force should be directed to the private sector enforcement team”, said Cllr Lawton.
