No Smoke Alarm - House Inspection Soon

theartfullodger

Good! Sensible tenant, sensible landlord - who shouldn't have let it happen.

Give him a coffee when he comes to Creosote - he'll be so surprised!

DaftyDuck

On the other hand... Creosote! That's been banned for use by the public for a decade now. If he's really using creosote he must be a right hoarder ..... must be a case for EH in that... damages to plants and washing, compo for the stress...

Good to hear of a resolution by people actually talking to one another. It's so unusual these days, it seems, to just have a chat. Well done! Sleep safe!

AdrianC

sauceoclock wrote: »

I realised there were no smoke alarms WHILST checking my burglar alarm sensors were all working.... Having moved in 2 months ago, starting my new job the NEXT day and then working 12 hours a day for god knows how long, I haven't really had a chance to stop. I do take my safety seriously clearly

TBF, how much of a check does it need to tell whether there are smoke alarms or not? A quick glance around a small flat takes, ooh, a minute?

As for the difference between "standalone" and "properly fitted" smoke alarms, I'm not quite sure what we're talking about here... By "properly fitted", do you mean mains powered? Because all that's added there is a reduction in the frequency of the "battery low" audible warning, from once every other year or so. But retro-fitting those would be fairly invasive work.

System

theartfullodger wrote: »

Good! Sensible tenant, sensible landlord - who shouldn't have let it happen.

Give him a coffee when he comes to Creosote - he'll be so surprised!

Haha, unfortunately I'm at work so I've sent him an e-mail to let him know there are biscuits and tea & coffee that he is welcome to.

System

DaftyDuck wrote: »

On the other hand... Creosote! That's been banned for use by the public for a decade now. If he's really using creosote he must be a right hoarder ..... must be a case for EH in that... damages to plants and washing, compo for the stress...

Good to hear of a resolution by people actually talking to one another. It's so unusual these days, it seems, to just have a chat. Well done! Sleep safe!

Hahaha, compo for the stress!! :rotfl: I wish, it isn't *actually* creosote, he just refers to it as creosote (as I discovered this morning), it's a fence safeguard thing that is fortunately brand new.. bought last week... I did ask about the creosote as my Grandpa and I used to creosote fences when I was on school holidays as part of his job!

System

AdrianC wrote: »

TBF, how much of a check does it need to tell whether there are smoke alarms or not? A quick glance around a small flat takes, ooh, a minute?

As for the difference between "standalone" and "properly fitted" smoke alarms, I'm not quite sure what we're talking about here... By "properly fitted", do you mean mains powered? Because all that's added there is a reduction in the frequency of the "battery low" audible warning, from once every other year or so. But retro-fitting those would be fairly invasive work.

I was actually doing just as you said and going round to test all alarms to be careful. I'm sure everyone has been stressed at some point and I don't need to go in to why I haven't been in a good frame of mind recently... I came here for friendly advice about my rights to ask my landlord, didn't ask for comments about how long before I noticed there aren't any.

I have a fire inspector coming to check out the property to advise my Landlord what I should have.. I don't trust cheapy battery ones as much as I would one that is mains wired in but wouldn't expect my Landlord to do that, however I would like some good quality ones that he is legally required to provide and fit to the ceiling or wall at his cost, not mine. I currently only have £6 ones as that's all I had money in my account for and they're just loose on the worktop.

DaftyDuck

sauceoclock wrote: »

....... as my Grandpa and I used to creosote fences when I was on school holidays as part of his job!

That explains everything.... I still remember the addictively delicious smell so well, used to get covered in the stuff, and it never did either of me any harm.

One advantage of the battery ones is you can buy a new one every four or five years, and just chuck the old one (recycle it carefully!!! ). The sensors themselves have a fairly limited life ~10 years or less, even for mains ones.

The houses I rent out all have fully-wired smoke (and heat?) detectors. However, I also stick battery-operated detectors in easy-to-reach but sensible places, and change the detector as often as the battery.


Edit: as a thought, the smoke detectors in one property are fairly tiny, and are embedded as part of the alarm system... maybe yours are? The detectors should still be visible, they are just smaller, at about five cm across, maybe even smaller. The alarm control panel shows them, and monitors them as active.

System

DaftyDuck wrote: »

That explains everything.... I still remember the addictively delicious smell so well, used to get covered in the stuff, and it never did either of me any harm.

One advantage of the battery ones is you can buy a new one every four or five years, and just chuck the old one (recycle it carefully!!! ). The sensors themselves have a fairly limited life ~10 years or less, even for mains ones.

The houses I rent out all have fully-wired smoke (and heat?) detectors. However, I also stick battery-operated detectors in easy-to-reach but sensible places, and change the detector as often as the battery.


Edit: as a thought, the smoke detectors in one property are fairly tiny, and are embedded as part of the alarm system... maybe yours are? The detectors should still be visible, they are just smaller, at about five cm across, maybe even smaller. The alarm control panel shows them, and monitors them as active.

Thanks so much for the advice, I have got my standalone rubbish ones for now but have a property visit from a fire inspector that my landlord is going to attend and to discuss where it would be best to place alarms etc. The landlord has admitted there are none on my floor, it turns out, the lady upstairs has them.... My landlord only owns my flat and it isn't a house that is split up, it's 2 separate built-for-purpose flats.. so something's obviously just gone wrong! He's happy to pay for them as it's his legal requirement and I've said I don't mind purchasing some sticky pads and affixing them to walls/ceilings as long as he won't take from my deposit if any paintwork is damaged.. He has been really understanding.

I LOVE the smell of creosote.. I really love it.. and the old smell of Jeyes Fluid!

AdrianC

sauceoclock wrote: »

I have a fire inspector coming to check out the property to advise my Landlord what I should have.

https://www.gov.uk/private-renting/your-landlords-safety-responsibilities

I don't trust cheapy battery ones as much as I would one that is mains wired in

The only difference is the source of power - and mains ones are battery-backed anyway, because there's a strong chance a fire would knock out the mains supply, even if it didn't start in the electrics.

however I would like some good quality ones that he is legally required to provide

He isn't legally required to provide ANY, let alone only ones above some arbitrary "quality" bar.

and fit to the ceiling or wall at his cost, not mine. I currently only have £6 ones as that's all I had money in my account for and they're just loose on the worktop.

Would it make a difference if he provided the £6 ones? Or <quickly checks google's shopping tab> £3.78 ones? A smoke alarm is a smoke alarm.

Basically, this whole argument is over less than a fiver and a couple of screws and rawlplugs or even some sticky-pads.

System

AdrianC wrote: »

https://www.gov.uk/private-renting/your-landlords-safety-responsibilities



The only difference is the source of power - and mains ones are battery-backed anyway, because there's a strong chance a fire would knock out the mains supply, even if it didn't start in the electrics.



He isn't legally required to provide ANY, let alone only ones above some arbitrary "quality" bar.



Would it make a difference if he provided the £6 ones? Or <quickly checks google's shopping tab> £3.78 ones? A smoke alarm is a smoke alarm.

Basically, this whole argument is over less than a fiver and a couple of screws and rawlplugs or even some sticky-pads.

If you go through my earlier comments you will see that any property built after 1992 is to be supplied with smoke or fire alarms... The law is obviously contradictory around this and once again, my Landlord has actually agreed to come and fit them/ have them fit and pay for them himself.... He is going to have them wired in following a visit from a safety inspector and he took their advice. If you read my original post all I was doing was asking for advice if I could ask for some and if I could ask for a new hob as mine is damaged. That's all!