This page gives advice on how to care for your safety alarms, and who to contact if there is a fault. It is important that you test and clean your safety alarms to make sure they are always working. Keeping your safety alarms operational can save your life and those around you.
Your home may not have all the safety alarms mentioned below, however, you should have at least one smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm where there is gas in the property.
To make sure your safety alarms are in working order we recommend you:
Test one smoke alarm once a week by pressing and holding the centre button on the alarm controller for a few seconds. All alarms connected in your home should sound and stop after a few seconds.
- Test all the individual smoke alarms once a year by pressing the 'Test' button on all the smoke alarms
- Test your heat alarm at least once a month by pressing the test button for up to 10 seconds or until the alarm goes off
- Test your carbon monoxide alarm at least once a month by pressing the ‘test’ button until you hear two beeps
- Regularly check all alarms to make sure the green mains lights are on.
- Clean your smoke alarms at least once a year
If any of the safety alarms installed in your home do not make a sound when tested, you need to contact our 24hr Repairs line or report it to your local Advice and Support Hub straight away.
Please do not:
- Remove or replace the back-up batteries as they are tamper-proof and not replaceable
- Attempt to test your safety alarms with a naked flame as this could damage the alarm
- Paint over your safety alarms as this could stop them from working properly
How to clean your safety alarms
Before you start to clean any alarm you must switch off the power and do not take it apart.
Use the nozzle or the soft brush attachment of you vacuum cleaner and carefully hoover any dust from the alarm.
Wipe the alarm with a clean damp cloth. (Be careful not to get any water on the alarm components.)
Once you have cleaned your alarm switch the power back on and test the alarm to make sure it is working properly.
What we will do
We will carry out any statutory required inspections to your safety alarms on an annual basis to make sure they are in good working order, please allow access to your home for this.
We will automatically contact you to arrange replacement of your safety alarms when they reach the end of life. It is important to be able to access to your home to carry this out.
We will repair or replace your smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarm if they become faulty.
If you have a battery powered smoke alarm please contact your local housing office and we will arrange to replace this to a mains operated alarm.
Legislative changes
The Scottish Government introduced legislation, which came into force in February 2022, that requires us to improve home safety for our tenants. This includes:
- at least one smoke alarm installed in the room most frequently used for general daytime living purposes
- at least one smoke alarm in every circulation space on each storey, such as hallways and landings
- at least one heat alarm installed in every kitchen
- all alarms should be ceiling mounted
- all alarms should be radio interlinked
We have already started an installation programme and a number of our properties already comply with this legislation.
If your alarm is faulty you should contact our 24hr repairs line or contact your local Advice and Support Hub straight away.
If you would like more information or advice on fire safety or details of your local fire station, you can visit the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website.