They’re recommended the world over as a simple and cheap safety measure – but what does French law say about the installation of smoke alarms in houses and apartments?
Unlike neighbouring Italy, where smoke alarms are optional (due to the buildings being mainly constructed from stone, according to the Italian government) smoke alarms are required in all French homes.
In buildings divided up into several residences, eg apartment buildings, one is required in each dwelling.
You will be required to state that you have a smoke alarm for almost all home insurance policies, and some insurance companies require a picture of the alarm in situ.
Who is responsible?
It is the owner of the property who is responsible for installing the smoke alarm, but if the dwelling has tenants, then the responsibility for regularly checking the alarm and replacing batteries where necessary depends on the type of tenancy.
The owner remains responsible for ensuring that the smoke alarm is in working order in the following tenancy types;
- Furnished rental
- Seasonal/tourist rental
- Accommodation given to employees as part of their job
- Rental to an organisation managed by the owner
For long-term tenancies, the tenant takes on the responsibility of regularly checking the alarm and replacing the batteries when necessary.
At the start of a tenancy, however, there should be a working smoke alarm and this fact should be noted on the inventory.
The alarm must be fixed to the ceiling.
What type of alarm?
The alarm (le détecteur de fumée) installed must be either battery operated (the most common kind) or linked to the electricity system. It must be licensed for use within the EU – check for the CE logo and the serial number NF EN 14604.
These types of alarms are sold by all DIY stores in France – chains including Mr Bricolage, Castorama, Leroy-Merlin, Brico Depot – and many homeware stores or larger supermarkets. They cost around €10-€20 for the battery-operated kind, around €100 for the electrical kind.
How many alarms?
The law stipulates only one alarm per dwelling space, with no rules on where it is placed. It is, however, forbidden to place smoke alarms in the communal areas of shared buildings, such as the staircase of apartment buildings.
There are some recommendations to make sure the alarm is as effective as possible.
It is recommended for multiple-storey dwellings to have at least one alarm per floor, and large homes are advised to have several per floor. At least one alarm should be in the corridor leading to the bedrooms.
In small apartments or studios it is advised to have the alarm as far away from the kitchen and bathroom as possible.
What about fire alarms or carbon monoxide detectors?
Fire alarms – networked systems in which an alarm going off in one space sets off a loud alarm (and sometimes also a sprinkler system) throughout the whole building – are not legally required for dwellings.
Some of the newer apartment blocks may have them, as well as shared spaces such as student accommodation, but in general they are not required for homes.
Carbon monoxide detectors are not legally required, but they are strongly recommended for homes that have gas or oil heating, or open fires and log burners. One alarm should be placed in each room that has a combustion heater – these alarms too are widely sold in French DIY stores (détecteur de monoxyde de carbone) and cost around €20.
There are legal requirements to have boilers regularly serviced, and to have chimneys swept in homes with open fires or log/pellet burners.
