Queensland Smoke Alarm Laws 2027 Explained

The short version

From 1 January 2027, every Queensland home must have compliant smoke alarms, including owner-occupied houses, townhouses and units.
Rentals and homes being sold have had to comply since 1 January 2022.
Alarms must be photoelectric, interconnected, less than 10 years old, and either hardwired or powered by a sealed 10-year battery.
They go in every bedroom, every hallway that connects bedrooms to the rest of the home, and on every storey.
The maximum penalty is 5 penalty units, currently $863.50.

When Do Queensland Homes Have to Comply with the Smoke Alarm Laws?

Every Queensland home must have compliant smoke alarms by 1 January 2027. Rentals, homes being sold, and new or substantially renovated homes already have to comply.

Home	Must comply from
New homes and substantial renovations, with building approval applied for after 31 December 2016	Already required
Homes being sold (sale contracts signed after 31 December 2021)	Already required, before the sale completes
Rental homes (new or renewed tenancies from 1 January 2022)	Already required
All other homes, including owner-occupied houses, townhouses and units	1 January 2027

What Makes Smoke Alarms Compliant in Queensland?

Compliant smoke alarms in Queensland are photoelectric, interconnected, less than 10 years old, and either hardwired to 240V power or powered by a sealed 10-year battery.

Photoelectric and complying with Australian Standard AS 3786-2014. Ionisation alarms don't comply.
Interconnected, so when one alarm goes off they all go off. This can be wired or wireless.
The right power source. Hardwired to 240V power, or a sealed (non-removable) 10-year battery. Existing hardwired alarms must be replaced with hardwired alarms.
Less than 10 years old, counted from the manufacture date, and working when tested.

Where Must Smoke Alarms Be Installed in Queensland?

Queensland homes need a smoke alarm in every bedroom, in every hallway that connects bedrooms to the rest of the home, and on every storey, including storeys with no bedrooms.

In every bedroom, and anywhere people sleep.
In every hallway that connects bedrooms to the rest of the home.
Where there is no hallway, between the bedrooms and the rest of that storey.
On a storey with no bedrooms, in the most likely path of travel out of the home.

Alarms go on the ceiling where practicable. The Queensland Fire Department's installation sheet says not to put them within 300mm of a corner or a light fitting, or within 400mm of an air-conditioning vent or the blades of a ceiling fan. If an alarm keeps going off because of steam or cooking, the law lets you move it to another spot that still warns everyone in the home. See how many smoke alarms your home needs for worked examples.

Do You Need an Electrician to Install Smoke Alarms in Queensland?

Only for hardwired alarms. Queensland home owners can install photoelectric smoke alarms with a sealed 10-year battery themselves, but 240V hardwired alarms must be installed by a licensed electrician.

If a home has hardwired alarms now, the replacements must also be hardwired, so that part of the job needs an electrician. A home can have hardwired alarms where they already are and wireless battery alarms everywhere else, as long as they are all interconnected.

What we see in Gold Coast homes

The problems we find depend on the age of the home. Hardwired smoke alarms have only been required in new homes since 1997, so older Gold Coast homes usually just have battery alarms with 9V batteries. Most of the time those alarms either have no batteries in them at all, or the batteries are flat.

The other big one is age. Most people don't know a smoke alarm only lasts 10 years before it has to be replaced. You'd be amazed how many homes we go to where the smoke alarm is 25 years old or older.

Older rules often meant just one alarm per level, and many of those alarms are now in spots that don't meet the new rules, so they have to be moved. That leaves a hole in the ceiling where the old alarm was. We're not plasterers or painters, so there may be some patching to do.

If a hardwired alarm has to be moved, the circuit has to be brought up to standard, which means it must be protected by a safety switch (an RCD, also called an earth leakage unit). Luckily most houses already have one. If yours doesn't, one needs to be installed, and we'll always tell you and get your OK first.

Nick James, owner and licensed electrician

What Is the Penalty for Not Having Compliant Smoke Alarms in Queensland?

The maximum penalty is 5 penalty units, currently $863.50, under section 147Z of the Fire Services Act 1990.

Queensland set the penalty unit at $172.70 from 1 July 2026, and the value usually goes up each 1 July. The same maximum applies to removing a smoke alarm, taking out its battery, or doing anything that stops it working properly. You may see much bigger fine figures quoted online. The figure here comes from the legislation.

What Do Queensland Landlords Have to Do?

Queensland landlords must have compliant smoke alarms installed before a tenancy starts or is renewed, and within 30 days before each tenancy must test and clean every alarm and replace any flat or nearly flat battery.

During the tenancy, the tenant must test and clean each alarm at least once every 12 months, replace flat batteries, and tell the landlord if an alarm fails for any other reason. See our landlords and sellers page.

What Do You Have to Do When Selling a Home in Queensland?

A Queensland home sold under a contract signed after 31 December 2021 must have compliant smoke alarms before the sale completes. The seller must also tell the buyer in writing, on or before the date of possession, whether compliant alarms are installed.

The seller also declares it on the property transfer documents.

Do Units and Apartments Need Interconnected Smoke Alarms?

Yes. Queensland's smoke alarm laws cover units in apartment buildings as well as houses and townhouses, so each unit needs its own compliant, interconnected alarms.

Some buildings already have a compliant smoke detection system installed inside each unit, which can meet the rules instead, so check with your body corporate before you buy alarms.

How Do You Keep Smoke Alarms Compliant?

Test each alarm regularly, clean it at least once a year, and replace it once it is 10 years old or stops working.

Cleaning usually means gently vacuuming around the vents, as the manufacturer's instructions say. If an alarm is chirping, see why is my smoke alarm beeping?

Sources

Related Guides

Common Questions

Do the 2027 smoke alarm laws apply to owner-occupiers?

Yes. From 1 January 2027, section 147Z of the Fire Services Act 1990 requires the owner of every Queensland home to have compliant smoke alarms installed, including people living in their own home.

Are ionisation smoke alarms allowed in Queensland?

No. Queensland homes need photoelectric smoke alarms, and the Queensland Fire Department says compliant alarms must not contain an ionisation sensor. Ionisation alarms have to be replaced.

Do I have to replace hardwired smoke alarms with hardwired ones?

Yes. If a Queensland home already has 240V hardwired smoke alarms, they must be replaced with 240V hardwired photoelectric alarms. The other required alarms can have a sealed 10-year battery.

How old can a smoke alarm be in Queensland?

A smoke alarm must be replaced within 10 years of the date it was made, or straight away if it doesn't work when tested. The manufacture date is usually printed on the back of the alarm.

Queensland Smoke Alarm Laws Explained