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About smoke alarms

Smoke alarms have been installed in your home for your safety and are early warning devices for fires. They make a loud noise when smoke is detected.

If there’s a fire, the smoke alarm can help alert you and other people in the house.

In department-owned public housing, you’ll find a smoke alarm information sticker on the inside of your cupboard door (usually the linen cupboard), which explains how to test and clean your smoke alarm.

Also read more about looking after your smoke alarm.

If a smoke alarm goes off

If a smoke alarm goes off (makes a loud alarm sound), check for a fire.

If there is a fire

  • Don't fight the fire if there is any danger.
  • Evacuate everyone from your property as quickly as possible.
  • If there is smoke, cover your nose and mouth with a cloth and keep close to the floor when evacuating.
  • If you live in a multi-unit complex and the fire starts in your unit, get everyone out, close the front door and use the nearest stairs to reach ground level.
  • If the fire starts in another unit or common area, leave the building if it is safe. If not, stay in your unit and close your doors and windows to keep smoke out—call triple zero (000).
  • If your unit is in a building serviced by lifts, follow the emergency evacuation procedures to the exit.
  • Call triple zero (000) for the fire service from your mobile or a neighbour’s phone.
  • Never go back to try and save your belongings.

If there is no fire

False alarms can be caused by:

  • smoke from cooking, burnt toast or cigarettes
  • steam from the bathroom or laundry
  • electrical surges or insect infestations.

Locate the smoke alarm with the rapidly flashing red light. This shows which smoke alarm has gone off.

In unit complexes, the central alarm system (controlled by the local fire alarm panel) may also sound.

If the alarm has a stop button or a wall-mounted isolating switch (usually labelled ‘press to isolate alarm’), press the stop button or switch for 5 seconds to temporarily stop the alarm.

Then air out the area by opening windows and doors and fan the area around the alarm with a newspaper or tea towel.

The smoke alarm should stop sounding when you remove the cause of the false alarm. This may take several minutes.

If the alarm still doesn't stop, call your maintenance number.

Chirping smoke alarm

The alarm will chirp at intervals while the battery is recharging. This usually happens after a power failure, or if the power was disconnected and reconnected.

If the chirping continues or there hasn't been a recent power outage, call your maintenance number.

Problems with smoke alarms

Call your maintenance number if your smoke alarm is not working properly or you have concerns about looking after your smoke alarms:

Cost of smoke alarms

Smoke alarms are not expensive to run. The electricity for each alarm costs about $1 per year.

Damaged smoke alarms

If you deliberately remove or damage a smoke alarm, you will have to pay for the repairs.

As the tenant, you’re responsible for paying the full cost of repairing any damage caused by you, a household member or a visitor allowed onto the property. We record costs for this damage as a maintenance charge to your rental account.

We are responsible for repairs resulting from fair wear and tear.

Sleeping in rooms with no nearby smoke alarms

The smoke alarms in your home are there to wake everyone in your household so that they can get to safety if there is a fire.

People who sleep in rooms, that are not classified as bedrooms, away from where the smoke alarms are installed are at greater risk of death or injury by smoke and fire. This practice is not safe.

You may be in breach of your state tenancy agreement as you are required to notify the department if the number of people in your household changes. If you cannot accommodate your household members in your home’s classified bedrooms, contact your nearest Housing Service Centre to discuss the problem.

You must not make alterations to your home without permission. If you create makeshift bedrooms (e.g. in a garage or under the house), and the department finds these alterations at inspection, you will be directed to remove the alterations and restore the property to its original condition at your own cost.

New interconnected photoelectric alarms installed

We have installed new smoke alarms in all government-owned, social housing properties. This was to comply with changes to smoke alarm laws requiring interconnected photoelectric alarms installed in all bedrooms, and in the path of escape (e.g., hallway/living area).

More information

Last updated:
1 November 2023
Last reviewed:
3 April 2020
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