Received this email today - thought I'd share.
Following on from earlier email, I just wanted to highlight that the Government have released the following Statutory Instrument which will see the mandatory installation of smoke alarms in rented properties:
The Energy Act 2013 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2015
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2015/614This Order is the second commencement order made under the Energy Act 2013 (c.32) (?the Act?). It brings section 150 of the Act into force on the day after the day on which this Order is made.
Section 150 of the Energy Act 2013 is:
150Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
(1)The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision imposing duties on a relevant landlord of residential premises in England for the purposes of ensuring that, during any period when the premises are occupied under a tenancy?
(a)the premises are equipped with a required alarm (or required alarms), and
(b)checks are made by or on behalf of the landlord in accordance with the regulations to ensure that any such alarm remains in proper working order.
(2)?Required alarm? means?
(a)a smoke alarm, or
(b)a carbon monoxide alarm,
that meets the appropriate standard.
(3)Regulations may include provision about?
(a)the interpretation of terms used in subsections (1) and (2);
(b)the enforcement of any duty imposed by regulations.
(4)Provision made by virtue of subsection (3)(b) may in particular?
(a)confer functions on local housing authorities in England;
(b)require a landlord who contravenes any such duty to pay a financial penalty.
(5)Provision about penalties made by virtue of subsection (4)(b) includes provision?
(a)about the procedure to be followed in imposing penalties;
(b)about the amount of penalties;
(c)conferring rights of appeal against penalties;
(d)for the enforcement of penalties;
(e)about the application of sums paid by way of penalties (and such provision may permit or require the payment of sums into the Consolidated Fund).
(6)Regulations may?
(a)include incidental, supplementary and consequential provision;
(b)make transitory or transitional provision or savings;
(c)make different provision for different cases or circumstances or for different purposes;
(d)make provision subject to exceptions.
(7)Consequential provision made by virtue of subsection (6)(a) may amend, repeal or revoke any provision made by or under an Act.
(8)Regulations are to be made by statutory instrument.
(9)An instrument containing regulations may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.
(10)Subject to provision contained in regulations, in this section?
?the appropriate standard?, in relation to a smoke alarm or a carbon monoxide alarm, means the standard (if any) that is specified in, or determined under, regulations;
?local housing authority? has the meaning given in section 261(2) of the Housing Act 2004;
?premises? includes land, buildings, moveable structures, vehicles and vessels;
?regulations? means regulations under this section;
?relevant landlord? means a landlord in respect of a tenancy of residential premises in England who is of a description specified in regulations;
?residential premises? means premises all or part of which comprise a dwelling;
?tenancy? includes any lease, licence, sub-lease or sub-tenancy (and ?landlord? is to be read accordingly).
