Published August 2021

Hannah Stirling is the National Sales Manager for Smoke Alarm Solutions and explains the new legislation and ramifications of non-compliance to Queensland real estate agents and homeowners wanting to sell their properties in light of the 2022 legislation.

Over the last five years, there has been a lot of focus on the latest smoke alarm requirements for Queensland rental properties but some Real Estate Agents might also be in for a shock in 2022, as the legislation will also impact them.

From 1st January 2022, any Queensland property sold, regardless of when it was built or if it is owner-occupied or rented, will need to meet the new 2022 smoke alarm legislative requirements. That is, photoelectric smoke alarms must be installed in every bedroom of the home, be powered by either 240-volt or 10-year lithium batteries, be interconnected to each other and comply with the Australian Standard. 

Real Estate Agents will need to advise homeowners who are planning to sell their properties about the new requirements, so there are no surprises at settlement. Not only will the new legislation affect properties being sold from 2022, it is important to remember there will also be a backlog of rental properties which are yet to meet the new legislation requirements.

Smoke Alarm Solutions is experiencing a last-minute rush to ensure rental properties are compliant to the new measures. Demand is expected to increase even further as we edge closer to 2022. It is vital for salespeople to set the expectation with their vendors from the very first meeting. If the property does not meet the strict new smoke alarm requirements, the property sale might be in jeopardy. 

Smoke Alarm Solutions has been a key figure in compliance within the real estate industry for almost 15 years. As partners of the REIQ, we are here to assist in ensuring you aren't risking the sale of a property due to non-compliance. 

New smoke alarm legislation is complex and intricate. Over the past five years, Smoke Alarm Solutions has seen an influx of smaller, opportunistic businesses trying to capitalise on the change in legislation. By engaging a less experienced operation who does not have the specialised expertise in smoke alarm compliance, a property could still be non-compliant to new legislation following an attempted property upgrade.  This does not only mean an extra cost for the vendor but a property sale could be put at risk causing a great deal of unwanted stress for the seller and for the sales agent. 

To address the upcoming requirements for properties being sold from 2022, we have introduced our Seller's Compliance package which aims to make it as streamlined as possible to upgrade a property. For those extra urgent jobs, we can offer an express service which ensures a turnaround of just 48 hours. Currently, the industry standard is for smoke alarm providers to take four to six weeks to complete an upgrade to the new requirements. 

As we know, Queensland is in the midst of a property boom and properties are selling within days of listing on the market. With cash sales and shorter settlement times on the rise, it's important for sellers to arrange the upgrade to new legislation as soon as they list their property so that settlement isn't delayed. 

Smoke Alarm Solutions have lots of resources available to educate sellers such as educational literature, online videos and regular live webinars. You'll also have a dedicated Account Manager who'll be more than happy to answer any of the questions you or your sellers might have. 

Smoke alarm compliance will now be as commonplace as a pest and building inspection to ensure that settlement is completed. You don't want to be the real estate agent who's left their seller in the dark. We urge principals and sales agents to get in touch with us now. Talk to us today about how we can set up your sales team for success in 2022. We look forward to hearing from you.