Queensland smoke-alarm rules already apply to properties being sold or leased, with the final compliance deadline for remaining private homes on 1 January 2027.
Last updated: August 2026
The 1 January 2027 deadline
All remaining existing Queensland private homes, townhouses, units and manufactured homes must have compliant interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms by 1 January 2027. When one interconnected alarm activates, all alarms in the dwelling sound together.
What compliant alarms require
- Photoelectric alarms that comply with Australian Standard AS 3786-2014.
- No ionisation sensor.
- Interconnection with every other required alarm in the dwelling.
- Installation on each storey, in each bedroom, in hallways connecting bedrooms with the rest of the dwelling and, where there is no hallway or bedroom, in the prescribed path-of-travel locations.
- The required power supply, which may be hardwired with a secondary power source or a compliant 10-year non-removable battery, depending on the installation.
Selling and leasing requirements
Homes and units being sold must already have compliant photoelectric interconnected alarms. The seller’s obligation is triggered by the initial contract date and the upgrade must be completed before transfer. Landlords must also test and clean alarms within 30 days before a tenancy starts; tenants have ongoing testing and cleaning responsibilities during the tenancy.
REIQ and Queensland Law Society contracts are not legislation
The statutory seller-disclosure regime under the Property Law Act 2023 has been mandatory since 1 August 2025. REIQ and Queensland Law Society released updated editions of their standard residential and commercial contracts to reflect the new law. Those standard-form contract editions did not themselves become “mandatory”; the legal obligations arise from legislation and the contract actually used.
Practical checks before signing or settlement
- Confirm alarm type, age, power supply, location and interconnection.
- Arrange licensed electrical work where hardwired alarms are installed or altered.
- Retain testing, installation and compliance records.
- Do not assume a private service certificate replaces the statutory requirements.
- Deal expressly with any non-compliance before settlement rather than relying on an informal promise.
See the Queensland Fire Department smoke-alarm guidance and Ensure Legal’s Form 2 seller-disclosure guide.
This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice.
