Response: DCLG Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Review January 2018

By: Vicky Pearlman
Published: July 2018

Shelter response to DCLG Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms Review January 2018

Shelter believes that everyone should be able to live in a safe, secure and affordable home. Smoke and carbon monoxide safety is a key part of this, across all tenures including owner-occupied, privately rented and social (housing association or local authority) housing.

Our evidence suggests that the introduction of the regulations in 2015 has led to a significant increase in landlords installing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in private rented properties, although the level of non-compliance suggests that there is more work to do. For this reason, and to ensure new landlords are also compliant, we believe there is a need for these regulations to be retained in full.

The recent tragic fire at Grenfell Tower demonstrates the devastating consequences that fire and smoke can have on individuals, families and whole communities. It is a vital that we learn from this and take all reasonable steps to ensure that people are safe in their homes.