Consultation outcome

Domestic smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: proposals to extend regulations – government response

Updated 23 November 2021

Introduction

The government is committed to ensuring residents are protected from the risks of fire and carbon monoxide (CO) in their homes. A consultation exercise was held between 17 November 2020 and 11 January 2021 inviting views on proposals to extend requirements on CO alarms and for smoke alarms. This document sets out the findings of that consultation, the government’s response to the findings and intended next steps.

The consultation followed the government review of carbon monoxide alarm requirements, which concluded in January 2019. The review considered the evidence base around CO alarms and whether requirements in the rented sectors and the installation requirements in the building regulations are fit for purpose or should be extended.

The consultation was published alongside The charter for social housing residents: social housing white paper which set out a wider package of measures to rebalance the relationship between tenants and landlords in the social rented sector. Since 2015, private sector landlords have been required to install alarms in their homes, but there are no such requirements for social landlords. The intention of these proposals is to bring parity between the rental sectors in respect of safety, and ensure that people are safe, and feel safe in their homes, now and in the future.

The consultation: content

The consultation titled “Domestic smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: proposals to extend regulations” proposed to amend both the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 and the statutory guidance (Approved Document J) supporting Part J of the Building Regulations.

Specifically, the consultation:

1. proposed requiring social landlords to ensure at least one smoke alarm is installed on each storey of their homes
2. proposed requiring the installation of a CO alarm in any room used as living accommodation where a fixed combustion appliance is used (excluding gas cookers), for both private and social landlords and when a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers) is installed in homes of any tenure
3. proposed to amend legislation to create an obligation for landlords to repair or replace smoke and CO alarms when informed that they are faulty
4. sought views on whether government guidance documents around the placement of smoke and CO alarms should be updated
5. proposed to update guidance documents to remind landlords that alarms should meet relevant standards
6. sought views on the best way to support residents to test alarms
7. proposed to commence requirements as soon as practicable (i.e., not allow landlords a grace period for compliance once regulations are made)
8. sought views from local authority officials on any new financial or operational burdens the proposals would create on their enforcement function

The consultation: approach

The consultation was open for 8 weeks.

Respondents could either respond via an online survey, email, or by post. We asked 34 questions, 16 of which were about smoke alarms and 18 of which were about CO alarms. 15 questions invited a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, with the subsequent question inviting further elaboration in a free text box.

The consultation adhered to the principles issued by the Cabinet Office. It was accompanied by an analysis of impact, which can be found in the consultation document.

Summary of consultation responses

Overall, 161 responses were received from individuals and organisations, including social and private landlord representative bodies, residents, housing charities, local authorities, industry professionals and fire and rescue representatives. Respondents did not have to answer all the questions in the consultation.

In summarising the free text responses, we have used the following terms: ‘A majority’ means more than 50% of respondents, and ‘some’ means between 0% to 49% of respondents.

The government response follows at the end of each section. In the government response sections, the term ‘we’ refers to the UK government. The proposed amended regulations will apply in relation to England only.

Part A. Extending smoke alarm requirements to social housing

Q1. Do you support the proposal to extend the smoke alarm requirements as set out in the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 to the social rented sector?

Yes	142 (92%)
No	13 (8%)
Total	155

Q2. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on whether we should extend the smoke alarm requirements that apply in the private rented sector to the social rented sector. This would require social landlords to install a smoke alarm on every storey of their homes. A majority of respondents supported the proposal to do this.

143 respondents provided a free text response. Some respondents remarked on the benefits for residents such as improved safety and peace of mind. Some respondents said there would also be benefits for social landlords, such as clarity on what government’s expectations are. Some said that compliance with the requirement is already high, as most landlords already provide smoke alarms. Some thought that the proposals could go further, for example, we could require a smoke alarm in every room of a rental home. Some thought that alarms should also be mandated for owner-occupiers.

Q3. Do you think that the guidance on where smoke alarms should be situated requires updating?

Yes	87 (60%)
No	59 (40%)
Total	146

Q4. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on whether the guidance document accompanying the regulations should be updated to include guidance on where smoke alarms should be situated . A majority of respondents supported updating the guidance.

135 respondents provided a free text response. Some respondents who supported the proposal said that the current guidance is unclear or needs clarifying. Some said that the guidance should be updated so that it is consistent with British Standards guidance BS 5839-6^{[footnote 1]}. Some said installers should adhere to the manufacturer’s guidance on placement. Some respondents said the guidance was already adequate and did not require updating.

Q5. Do you agree with the proposal that landlords should not be required to test smoke alarms during the life of the tenancy?

Yes	95 (63%)
No	56 (37%)
Total	151

Q6. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on whether landlords should be required to test smoke alarms during the lifetime of a tenancy. A majority of respondents agreed that they should not be required to do so.

146 respondents gave a free text response. As smoke alarms need testing at least monthly, some respondents thought this responsibility should fall to residents. Some recognised that it would be onerous for landlords to test alarms as regularly as required, whilst some said that landlords may find it difficult to gain access to do tests. Some felt it would be an invasion of privacy for residents. A few said landlords could test alarms annually, for example, during gas safety checks.

Q7. Please provide examples of how social landlords could best support residents to test their smoke alarms regularly and safely.

142 responses

We invited respondents to provide examples of how they might best support their residents to test alarms. 142 respondents provided examples.

Suggestions included sending regular reminder messages such as text messages or providing residents with existing guidance materials, such as the Home Office “Fire Kills” campaign. Some thought government could produce new guidance documents. Some also thought that landlords could install technologies, such as wall mounted testing devices or alarms that can be tested remotely, which would help residents who are unable to reach alarms to test them. Some said landlords could provide face to face advice on testing during routine visits. Some respondents thought testing of alarms should be made a requirement in tenancy agreements.

Q8. Do you agree with our proposal that legislation be amended to create an obligation for social landlords to repair or replace smoke alarms, once informed that they are faulty?

Yes	143 (95%)
No	9 (5%)
Total	152

Q9. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on whether we should create an obligation for social landlords to repair or replace smoke alarms once informed that they are faulty. A majority of respondents supported this proposal.

138 respondents gave a free text response. A majority said that this was an obvious thing to do, and beneficial for safety. Some respondents, including some social landlords, said that they already replace faulty alarms. Some said that it should be the resident’s responsibility to replace the alarm where they damage it themselves. Some respondents said this was unnecessary because residents should be able to replace faulty alarms themselves.

Q10. Do you agree with our proposal that legislation be amended to create an obligation for private landlords to replace alarms once informed that they are faulty?

Yes	139 (94%)
No	10 (6%)
Total	149

Q11. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on whether we should create an obligation for private landlords to repair or replace smoke alarms once informed that they are faulty. A majority of respondents supported the proposal to do this.

132 respondents gave a free text response. A majority agreed this would be beneficial for the safety of residents as faulty alarms are ineffective. Some respondents said that responsible landlords would already replace faulty alarms as standard. Some respondents, including some representing private landlords, said that landlords have an interest in protecting their homes as financial assets and so should ensure that faulty alarms are replaced. Some respondents felt this was unnecessary and replacing faulty smoke alarms should be the resident’s responsibility.

Q12. Do you agree with our proposal to update our guidance document to ensure the choice of alarm meets relevant product standards?

Yes	139 (91%)
No	13 (9%)
Total	152

Q13. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on whether the guidance accompanying the regulations should be updated to include information on which type of alarm to select. A majority of respondents supported the proposal to do this.

135 respondents gave a free text response. A majority thought this was important to ensure alarms were of good quality, and some said that alarms should comply with British Standards BS 5839-6^{[footnote 2]}. Some respondents said clarity would be helpful as there is a wide variety of products on the market which can lead to uncertainty about which is best. Some respondents said that they thought the guidance should specify that alarms should be hard-wired.

Q14. Do you support the proposal to commence the regulations as soon as practicable following the laying of regulations?

Yes	118 (79%)
No	33 (21%)
Total	151

Q15. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on a proposal to commence regulations as soon as possible, rather than phasing in regulations. A majority of respondents supported the proposal to commence regulations as soon as practicable.

127 respondents gave a free text response. Some said that commencing requirements as soon as possible would be important to ensure the safety of residents. Some said the proposals are relatively inexpensive and are easy for landlords to implement. Some respondents thought that as most social homes already have smoke alarms, there is no need to delay the commencement of requirements.

Some respondents who supported commencing requirements as soon as practicable said that consideration should be given to challenges around accessing properties, exacerbated by coronavirus (COVID-19). Some respondents thought that landlords should be given time to plan for the changes. Some respondents thought that if requirements are commenced immediately it could lead to a shortage of available alarms on the market.

Q16. For local authorities only: What additional operational or financial burdens do you consider would be placed on you by enforcing our proposals on smoke alarms? Please provide any costings to support your answer.

34 responses, 23 identified as local authorities

We asked respondents from local authority enforcement teams whether they thought the proposed new requirements on smoke alarms would place any additional burdens to them.

We received 34 responses to this question. Nine of these mentioned burdens related to enforcement functions. The majority of respondents said that there would be no additional costs, or that these would be minimal. Some respondents said that an alarm inspection could be incorporated into routine inspections. A further 25 respondents provided information on other cost burdens for local authorities such as the installation or maintenance of alarms.

Government response

The government notes the strong support for our proposals to require smoke alarms to be installed in social homes and it is welcome that the majority of social landlords have already taken steps to install alarms to keep their residents safe. We agree that we should extend requirements to the social rented sector so that all residents benefit from the protection and reassurance enjoyed by having a smoke alarm, regardless of rental tenure. We will also create an obligation on both private and social sector landlords to repair or replace alarms, once informed that they are faulty.

We intend to bring forward legislation to this effect as soon as parliamentary time allows. We will ensure that the new requirements come into force as soon as practicable after the regulations are made. As outlined in the consultation document, any delay to the implementation of these proposals could put lives at risk, and the support from respondents reinforces this view.

We will update the guidance document and include examples of how landlords can support vulnerable residents to test alarms as best practice. We will also update the guidance document to advise on best practice for the placement of alarms, and to remind landlords to ensure that their choice of alarm also meets British Standards guidance. We will consider costings relating to enforcement provided by some respondents as part of our assessment of local authority new burdens.

In response to concerns that the policy should also extend to owner-occupiers, we will encourage residents in all homes, including owner-occupiers, to ensure they have adequate smoke alarm coverage, the government continues to run its “Fire Kills” Campaign in close partnership with the National Fire Chiefs Council and fire and rescue services. The campaign encourages the installation of smoke alarms on every level of a home and reminds people to test them at least monthly. We agree that regular monthly testing should be the responsibility of the resident. We reiterate our view that it would be too burdensome to require landlords to do this.

Part B. Carbon monoxide alarms upon installation of combustion appliances

Q17. Do you support the proposal to amend the statutory guidance (Approved Document J) supporting Part J of the Building Regulations to require carbon monoxide alarms to be fitted alongside the installation of fixed combustion appliances of any fuel type (excluding gas cookers)?

Yes	125 (84%)
No	23 (16%)
Total	148

Q18. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on whether we should require carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to be fitted alongside the installation of fixed combustion appliances of any fuel type (excluding gas cookers). A majority of respondents supported our proposals to do this.

124 respondents gave a free text response. Some said that the proposals will improve resident safety and help them feel safer in their homes. Some respondents highlighted potential efficiencies by installing alarms at the same time as new appliances. Some respondents thought that we should go further, for example by including gas cookers or including owner-occupied homes in scope. Some respondents said that the outcome of the cost-benefit analysis published with the consultation did not justify the requirement.

Q19. Do you think that the guidance in Approved Document J on where carbon monoxide alarms should be situated requires updating?

Yes	93 (64%)
No	50 (36%)
Total	143

Q20. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on whether we should update guidance in Approved Document J on where carbon monoxide alarms should be situated. A majority of respondents supported our proposals to do this.

120 respondents gave a free text response. Some said that updating the guidance was important to ensure it is clear and up to date, while some said that the guidance should match British Standards guidance BS EN 50292^{[footnote 3]}. Among those who disagreed, some said that the guidance was outdated, and some felt that the current guidance was adequate and did not need changing.

Q21. Do you think that the guidance in Approved Document J on what type of carbon monoxide alarm should be installed requires updating?

Yes	89 (61%)
No	55 (39%)
Total	144

Q22. Please give your reasons.

A majority of respondents supported updating Building Regulations guidance on what type of CO alarm to choose.

112 respondents gave a free text response. Some said that keeping the guidance updated was important to ensure clarity, while some said that the guidance should match British Standards guidance BS EN 50291^{[footnote 4]} on the type of alarm. Some also said that the guidance is outdated. Some respondents felt that the current guidance was adequate.

Government response

The government notes the strong support for the proposal to require carbon monoxide alarms to be fitted alongside the installation of fixed combustion appliances of any fuel type (excluding gas cookers). We agree that this is an important step to protect residents, and we will amend the statutory guidance (Approved Document J) supporting Part J of the Building Regulations to this effect.

We will review and update the guidance on alarm standards and positioning in Approved Document J to ensure it is as clear as possible and remains fit for purpose. We will also ensure that the guidance is consistent with the guidance document for the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015.

The government does not intend to include gas cookers within the scope of regulations. We acknowledge the concerns around the exclusion of gas cookers from scope and agree that any combustion appliance can potentially be the cause of an incidence of CO poisoning. We also acknowledge that, for a variety of reasons, data on CO poisonings is difficult to collect accurately and as such CO exposures are likely to be under-reported. Nonetheless, any new regulation must be proportionate and grounded in the available evidence.

As outlined in the consultation document, consideration was given to including gas cookers in scope. The evidence available shows that gas cookers are responsible for fewer incidents of CO poisoning than gas boilers. This may be because domestic gas cookers do not tend to be used continuously for long periods, unlike boilers which might be.

In smaller homes, it is possible that a gas cooker would be situated in the same room as the boiler. Our proposals will create an alarm requirement in the room where the boiler is situated, and to some extent will mitigate the risk from gas cookers. We will also strengthen protections by updating guidance on the positioning of alarms and creating a new obligation to repair faulty alarms. Overall, we consider our package of proposals goes far enough in mitigating the devastating harms caused by carbon monoxide.

Part C. Carbon monoxide alarms in rented homes

Q23. Do you support the proposal to amend the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 to require private landlords and social landlords to install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation where a fixed combustion appliance of any fuel type (excluding gas cookers) is used?

Yes	131 (87%)
No	20 (13%)
Total	151

Q24. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on whether we should require CO alarms to be fitted in private and social rented homes, in rooms where there is a fixed combustion appliance of any type (excluding gas cookers). A majority of respondents supported our proposal to do this.

123 respondents gave a free text response. Some said that the proposals will benefit residents through improved safety. Some thought there would be benefits to landlords or lettings agents, for example, by providing clarity on the expectations, and by raising standards. Some respondents said that the regulations should go further. Mostly, these respondents thought gas cookers should be included in scope, while some felt alarms should also be required in owner-occupied homes. Some respondents referred to regulations owned by the Scottish Government which require CO alarms in all homes and thought that there should be parity with these requirements in England.

Q25. Do you think that the guidance on where carbon monoxide alarms should be situated requires updating?

Yes	93 (66%)
No	48 (34%)
Total	141

Q26. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on whether the advice in the guidance document accompanying the regulations about where CO alarms should be positioned should be updated . A majority of respondents supported updating the guidance document.

103 respondents gave a free text response. A majority said that the current guidance on positioning was confusing and updating would ensure clarity. Some said that the guidance on positioning should match British Standards guidance BS EN 50292^{[footnote 5]}. Some also said the current examples in the document are inadequate and should be updated. Some respondents disagreed and felt that the current guidance was adequate. Reasons for disagreeing included the potential for confusion caused by changes to the wording.

Q27. Do you agree with the proposal that landlords should not be required to test carbon monoxide alarms during the life of the tenancy?

Yes	93 (63%)
No	58 (37%)
Total	151

Q28. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on whether landlords should be required to test CO alarms throughout the lifetime of a tenancy. A majority of respondents agreed that landlords should not be required to do this.

131 respondents gave a free text response. Some thought it should be a resident’s responsibility to test alarms and said it would be onerous for landlords to test alarms as regularly as required. Some respondents thought that landlords should be required to test alarms, monthly or annually.

Q29: Please provide examples of how landlords could best support residents to test their carbon monoxide alarms regularly and safely.

132 responses

We invited respondents to provide examples of how landlords could best support their residents to test CO alarms safely. 132 respondents gave a free text response.

Some respondents thought advice could be offered during routine tenancy visits – annually or more regularly. Some suggested sending reminder messages, through SMS text or some other platform. Some thought landlords should make use of existing guidance materials, such as the government ‘How to rent’ guidance. Some thought new guidance documents should be created to support this. Some respondents thought it could be made a requirement of the tenancy agreement for residents to test alarms. Some respondents suggested technical solutions such as wall-mounted test buttons that makes testing easier for residents.

Q30. We are proposing that legislation be amended to create an obligation for landlords to repair or replace carbon monoxide alarms, once informed that they are faulty. Do you agree?

Yes	143 (93%)
No	10 (7%)
Total	153

Q31. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on whether landlords should be required to repair or replace alarms once informed that they are faulty. A majority of respondents supported the proposal to create an obligation for landlords to do this.

120 respondents gave a free text response. A majority said that this was an obvious thing to do, and beneficial for safety. Some said landlords should replace alarms themselves to ensure they are of good quality and installed properly. Some respondents suggested that if an alarm is reported as broken but only needs new batteries, or is broken by the resident, the cost should fall to the resident.

Q32. Do you support the proposal to commence the requirements as soon as possible after laying amended carbon monoxide alarm regulations?

Yes	119 (79%)
No	31 (21%)
Total	150

Q33. Please give your reasons.

We sought views on whether we should commence requirements as soon as practicable after the regulations are made. A majority of respondents supported the proposal to do this.

116 respondents gave a free text response. Some thought it was important to legislate quickly for safety and to save lives. Some respondents said that CO alarms are cheap and are widely available, so the requirement is straightforward. However, some respondents said that landlords need time to plan for the changes, or that there could be problems with the supply in alarms if there is a sudden spike in demand. Some also thought consideration should be given to problems caused by COVID-19, such as residents’ reluctance to allow access for installation of alarms.

Q34. For local authorities only: What additional operational or financial burdens do you consider would be placed on you by our proposals on carbon monoxide alarms? Please provide any costings to support your answer.

31 responses

We asked respondents from local authority enforcement teams whether they thought the proposed new requirements on carbon monoxide alarms would bring any additional burdens to them.

We received 31 responses. Eight of these mentioned burdens related to enforcement functions. The majority of respondents said there would be no additional costs arising, or that these would be minimal. A further 23 respondents provided information on other cost burdens for local authorities such as the installation or maintenance of alarms.

Government response

The government notes the strong support for the proposal to require private and social landlords to install CO alarms in rooms with fixed combustion appliances (excluding gas cookers). We agree that it is vital for residents in both private and social rented homes to be protected from the dangers of CO poisoning, and we will bring forward these changes to the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 as soon as parliamentary time allows. We will also create a new requirement for both private and social landlords to repair or replace CO alarms once informed that they are faulty.

The government will review the guidance document to ensure the advice on positioning of alarms remains correct and fit for purpose, and that it is consistent with the guidance in Approved Document J. We will consider the merits of aligning the guidance on alarm standards with British Standard BS 50291^{[footnote 6]}. We will also update the document to remind landlords to have due regard to the needs of individual households when choosing the type of alarm.

Additionally, we will also ensure that the document signposts residents and landlords to appropriate guidance resources on CO awareness more generally. We do not intend to mandate landlords to test alarms during a tenancy, however we will use the guidance document to highlight annual testing by landlords as best practice.

The government does not intend to include gas cookers within the scope of regulations. We acknowledge the concerns around the exclusion of gas cookers from scope and agree that any combustion appliance can potentially be the cause of an incidence of CO poisoning. We also acknowledge that, for a variety of reasons, data on CO poisonings is difficult to collect accurately and as such CO exposures are likely to be under-reported. Nonetheless, any new regulation must be proportionate and grounded in the available evidence.

As outlined in the consultation document, consideration was given to including gas cookers in scope. The evidence available shows that gas cookers are responsible for fewer incidents of CO poisoning than gas boilers. This may be because domestic gas cookers do not tend to be used continuously for long periods, unlike boilers which might be.

In smaller homes, it is possible that a gas cooker would be situated in the same room as the boiler. Our proposals will create an alarm requirement in the room where the boiler is situated, and to some extent will mitigate the risk from gas cookers. We will also strengthen protections by updating guidance on the positioning of alarms and creating a new obligation to repair faulty alarms. Overall, we consider our package of proposals goes far enough in mitigating the devastating harms caused by carbon monoxide.

New requirements will commence as soon as practicable after the legislation is made. Whilst we do acknowledge that a phased approach could help landlords to implement the changes, we are concerned that any delay could impact on resident safety. We do not believe it would be justified to delay commencement. The process of passing the new regulations through Parliament will provide an additional period for landlords to comply before they come into effect. We will provide an opportunity for CO alarm manufacturers to engage with us prior to commencement of the legislation to discuss the provision of new alarms.

We will consider costings relating to enforcement provided by some respondents as part of our assessment of local authority new burdens.

Next steps

The government intends to bring forward these changes as soon as practicable:

• social landlords will be obliged to ensure at least one smoke alarm is installed on each storey of their homes
• both social and private landlords will be obliged to ensure a carbon monoxide alarm is installed in any room in their homes with a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers)
• in any home, when a new fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers) is installed, a carbon monoxide alarm will be required by law to be installed
• landlords will be legally obliged to repair or replace alarms once informed that they are faulty (testing will remain the resident’s responsibility)

As soon as parliamentary time allows, we will amend the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015. The regulations will be subject to the affirmative procedure and will need to be approved in both Houses of Parliament before they can be made. We will also amend the statutory guidance (Approved Document J) supporting Part J of the Building Regulations. We intend the new requirements to come into force as soon as practicable after the regulations are made. To avoid any confusion, both sets of requirements will come into effect at the same time.

The other recommendations in the consultation paper were concerned with updating the guidance documents on the placement of alarms and type of alarms to use. There was a high level of support in consultation responses for all these measures. We will update the government guidance documents to this effect and the refreshed documents will be published alongside the new legislation.

Glossary

All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG)

Forum for Parliamentarians to discover, discuss and promote ways of tackling carbon monoxide poisoning in the UK (United Kingdom).

Approved Document J

Approved Document J gives guidance for compliance with the Building Regulations requirements for Combustion appliances and Fuel Storage systems when building work is carried out in England.

Building control body

A local authority building control service or a private sector approved inspector building control service who is responsible for checking building regulations are complied with.

BSI Kitemark

British Standards Institute – national standards institute as appointed by the UK government.

British Standard: BS 5839-6

The standard covers design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems. Part 6 of the standard relates to fire alarms in domestic properties.

British Standard: BS EN 50292

The standard covers guidance on selection, installation, use and maintenance of apparatus for detection of CO in domestic premises, caravans, and boats.

British Standard: BS EN 50291

The standard covers gas detectors - electrical apparatus for the detection of CO in domestic premises.

Carbon monoxide

A colourless, tasteless, and odourless compound produced by incomplete combustion of carbon-containing materials.

Carbon monoxide alarm

A device that detects the presence of carbon monoxide gas and sounds an alert to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Combustion appliance

A combustion appliance is an apparatus where fuel is burned to generate heat for space heating, water heating, cooking or other similar purpose. Typical combustion appliances are boilers, warm air heaters, water heaters, fires, stoves, and cookers.

Cooker

An apparatus, usually of metal and heated by gas, electricity, oil, or solid fuel, for cooking food.

English Housing Survey (EHS)

A continuous national survey commissioned by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). It collects information about people’s housing circumstances and the condition and energy efficiency of housing in England.

Housing association

Non-profit organisation set up to provide affordable homes for those in need.

Living accommodation

Rooms used for everyday living activities including living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and studies.

Local authority building control

Local authority building control have responsibilities under the Building Act to interpret guidance and enforce requirements of the Building Regulations.

Local housing authority

Local housing authorities have a duty to enforce the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (England) Regulations 2015. In England and Wales, local housing authorities are the unitary authorities, district councils, the Council of the Isles of Scilly, the London borough councils, and the Common Council of the City of London.

Private registered provider

A registered provider of social housing that is not a local authority. Most are housing associations.

Private rented sector (PRS)

The housing tenure consisting of properties owned by private landlords and rented to tenants.

Resident

A person who lives in a home of any tenure.

Smoke alarm

A device that senses smoke, typically as an indicator of fire and issues a local audible or visual alarm.

Social housing white paper

The charter for social housing residents: social housing white paper was published in November 2020. It set out a wide package of measures to rebalance the relationship between tenants and landlords in the social rented sector.

Social landlord

A local authority landlord or private registered provider of social housing (such as a housing association)

Social rented sector

Homes for rent that are owned and managed by local authorities and private registered providers. This includes general needs, affordable rent, and self-contained supported housing. This does not include shared ownership homes, rent to buy, or similar schemes. It also does not include other types of housing which have their own safety standards such as Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), care homes, student halls of residents, hostels, hospices, and other accommodation relating to healthcare provision.

Solid fuel

Solid fuel refers to solid material that can be burnt to release energy through the process of combustion. Common examples of solid fuels include wood, charcoal, and coal.

Storey

Any level part of a building with a floor that could be used for living or storage.

Tenant

Someone who rents their home from a social or private landlord.

Annex A: Breakdown of respondents

Details of respondents	Totals
Individuals	49 (32%)
On behalf of an organisation	103 (63%)
Not provided	9 (5%)
Total	161

List of organisations who responded

• All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG)
• Anchor Hanover
• ARLA Propertymark
• Ashfield District Council (x2)
• Babergh and Mid Suffolk Councils
• Basildon Borough Council
• Believe Housing
• Brakefield (South) LLP
• Brent Barrett Ltd Trading as Winkworth Dulwich
• Bristol City Council
• British Standards Institution
• BSI Assurance (UK) Ltd
• BSRIA
• Cadent
• Calderdale Borough Council/Building Control Service
• Cambridge City Council/3C Shared Services Building Control
• Catalyst Housing Ltd
• CHP
• CIBSE - Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers
• Clarion Housing Group
• Cloud Lettings Ltd
• CO-Gas Safety^{[footnote 7]}
• Connexus Group
• Cornwall Residential Landlords Association
• Derbyshire Dales District Council
• Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
• East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service
• Epping Forest District Council
• Fire Industry Association
• ForHousing
• Foxtons Ltd
• Gas Safety Trust
• Generation Rent
• Gloucester City Homes
• Grand Union Housing Group
• Guinness Partnership
• HomeLets Bath
• Horsham District Council
• Hunters Property Group
• Julia Andrews Property Management
• Karbon Homes
• Knight Frank LLP
• Lancaster City Council
• Landlord Licensing and Defence
• Lewis Haughton Wills Lettings
• LiveWest
• London Borough of Hackney
• London Borough of Lambeth (x2)
• London Borough of Waltham Forest
• London Fire Brigade
• LSL Property Services plc
• Magna
• Manchester City Council
• Mendip District Council
• Midland Heart
• Morgan Lambert Ltd
• MSG Lettings
• National Fire Chiefs Council
• National House Building Council
• National Housing Federation
• Notting Hill Genesis
• Nottingham City Council
• NRLA
• Oftec
• Optivo
• Peabody
• Peaks and Plains Housing Trust
• Places for People
• Plus Dane Housing Limited
• Riverside
• Safeagent
• Safe-Electric (Nationwide) Ltd
• Salix Homes
• SGN
• Sheffield City Council
• Smartmove
• Sovereign Housing Association
• Sovini Group
• St Leger Homes
• Stockport Homes Group
• Supreme Properties / Johnsons Heating Contractors
• Sutton Leaseholders Association
• TFP Online Ltd
• The Federation of Private Residents’ Associations Ltd
• The Guild of Letting & Management Limited
• The Heating & Hot Water Industry Council (HHIC)
• The Katie Haines Memorial Trust
• The UK Association of Letting Agents (UKALA)
• Thirteen Group
• Thrive Homes
• Together Housing
• Wallasey Conservative Association
• Welwyn Hatfield Council
• West Kent Housing Association
• Westcoast Properties
• Westminster City Council
• Wirral Borough Council
• Worcester City Council
• Wythenshawe Community Housing Group
• York and North Yorkshire Local Authorities (EHO Practioners Group)
• Yorkshire Housing

Footnotes

1. The standard BS5839 covers design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems. Part 6: BS5839-6 relates to fire alarms in domestic properties. ↩

2. The standard BS5839 covers design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems. Part 6: BS5839-6 relates to fire alarms in domestic properties. ↩

3. BS EN 50292 guidance on selection, installation, use and maintenance of apparatus for detection of CO in domestic premises, caravans, and boats. ↩

4. BS EN 50291 2018 Gas detectors. Electrical apparatus for the detection of CO in domestic premises. ↩

5. BS EN 50292 guidance on selection, installation, use and maintenance of apparatus for detection of CO in domestic premises, caravans, and boats. ↩

6. BS EN 50291 2018 Gas detectors. Electrical apparatus for the detection of CO in domestic premises. ↩

7. Correction: The consultation document contained an error in section ‘Annex B: Analysis of Impact’. We referred to ‘CO Gas safe statistics’ – the correct name of the charity who produced the statistics is ‘CO-Gas Safety’. ↩