From 1 January 2027, every home in Queensland needs interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms. Not just rentals, not just homes being sold. Every house, townhouse and unit, including the one you live in.
Rentals and homes sold since 2022 already had to meet these rules. The final deadline catches everyone else, and it’s about ten weeks away. Here’s what the law actually asks for, in plain English.
What your home needs by 1 January 2027
- Photoelectric alarms only. Not the older ionisation type. They must comply with AS 3786-2014, which is printed on the back of the alarm.
- Interconnected. When one alarm goes off, they all go off together.
- In every bedroom.
- In the hallway that connects the bedrooms to the rest of the house. No hallway? Then between the bedrooms and the rest of that level.
- On every storey. If a level has no bedrooms, at least one alarm on the most likely path out of the house.
Source: Queensland Fire Department – smoke alarms.
Hardwired or battery?
The law allows two types. Hardwired alarms are connected to mains power with a battery backup, and must be installed by a licensed electrician. Battery-only alarms must have a non-removable 10-year battery.
If your home already has hardwired alarms, replacements need to be hardwired too.
We only install hardwired, interconnected alarms. In our experience they give fewer nuisance alarms and last longer than wireless battery systems, and there’s no wireless link to drop out between alarms.
Selling or renting?
- Selling: the home must already comply before settlement, and you declare it on the transfer paperwork (Form 24).
- Renting: landlords must have compliant alarms installed, and test and clean every alarm within 30 days before each new tenancy starts.
Why not leave it until December?
Because everyone else will. Electricians across Brisbane get flooded in the last few months before a deadline like this, and you’ll be competing for bookings with every landlord and homeowner who left it late. Getting it done now means you pick the day.
What we do
We’ll check what you’ve got, tell you exactly how many alarms your home needs and where, and install hardwired, interconnected photoelectric alarms that meet the 2027 rules. You get a certificate when the job’s done.
We cover Brendale, Strathpine, North Lakes, Kallangur and the rest of Moreton Bay, plus Brisbane’s northside from Aspley to the city.
Book your smoke alarm upgrade before the deadline → or read more about our smoke alarm installation service.
Armitage Electrical (QLD) Pty Ltd. Electrical Contractor Licence No. 88297.
