Tenant has removed smoke alarm!

Arleen

Cheeky_Monkey wrote: »

As these particular tenants had no thought for other people's safety, I wouldn't be in the least bit interested in keeping them happy. Their actions could have caused a potentially lethal situation - not something I'd be keen to reward them for.

That's why it was suggested to issue a letter with it informing them about the problem that comes when they unplug it. Though if the alarm goes while they are cooking then you are not rewarding them, but fixing an actual issue with the place. If you don't think it's a big one, please turn your fire alarm each time you cook, let me know after how many days you will rip it out of the walls.

Cakeguts

Arleen wrote: »

That's why it was suggested to issue a letter with it informing them about the problem that comes when they unplug it. Though if the alarm goes while they are cooking then you are not rewarding them, but fixing an actual issue with the place. If you don't think it's a big one, please turn your fire alarm each time you cook, let me know after how many days you will rip it out of the walls.

It doesn't matter what problems they had with it. You do not go round removing fire alarms because they are in places that don't suit you. If the alarm is causing you a problem you report the problem and ask if it can be removed. Not having a fire alarm in that flat is not fair on the other flat residents.

There has to be an alarm in that flat so the landlord needs to make sure that is goes back or something that works equally well but these tenants need to leave at the first opportunity because the landlord will never be able to trust them not to remove any alarm from the flat again. This usually happens because there is a smoker who doesn't want to go outside in bad weather.

Section 21 they cannot be trusted. They remove fixtures from the property.

Cheeky_Monkey

Arleen wrote: »

That's why it was suggested to issue a letter with it informing them about the problem that comes when they unplug it. Though if the alarm goes while they are cooking then you are not rewarding them, but fixing an actual issue with the place. If you don't think it's a big one, please turn your fire alarm each time you cook, let me know after how many days you will rip it out of the walls.

It's not about me and my smoke alarm. It's about tenants who deliberately removed a hard-wired smoke alarm rather than inform the landlord of the 'issue' to give them a chance to resolve it or, indeed, just go out and buy a battery smoke alarm themselves to see if it helps the situation.

It was apparently only by luck that the landlord found out about it. In the OP's position, I would get rid of them as soon as possible

For me, this is on a par with parents who take the battery out of a smoke alarm to put it in their kid's latest toy :mad:

teddysmum

Cheeky_Monkey wrote: »

For me, this is on a par with parents who take the battery out of a smoke alarm to put it in their kid's latest toy :mad:

It is worse, as they have interfered with a live electrical connection which could now be exposed or on a dangerously sealed route, if they happen to have bent a wire back on itself.


I would insist that they put things back as they were (Is this not required at the end of a tenancy, though this is more urgent?) at their own expense and using a qualified electrician with proof.


Perhaps the alarm went off because they are careless cooks who leave food cooking too long or don't put lids on pans,thus causing more steam to escape (also likely to cause mould problems).

Red-Squirrel_2

Cakeguts wrote: »

Not having a fire alarm in that flat is not fair on the other flat residents.

Having lived in flats for years, this is the biggest problem for me too in this scenario. They aren't just putting themselves at risk.

Norman_Castle

Tell them to close the kitchen door while cooking.

https://www.aico.co.uk/technical-support/choosing-alarm-sensor-types/