Fire safety
Please test your smoke alarms every month.
Last year, more than 200 people died because of fires in the home. You’re at least four times more likely to die in a fire in the home if there’s no working smoke alarm.
If we’ve recently rewired your home, your smoke/heat alarms will be manufactured by Aico. You can find more information about your smoke alarm on their website in these how to videos. We install the 160RC series of alarms; the lithium battery inside does not need replacing.
If your smoke alarm is not an Aico one, please make sure you’re familiar with how to test the alarm and change the batteries, if necessary.
When you test your smoke alarm, you could help a neighbour, friend or older family member to test theirs. It doesn’t take long and gives those you care about a better chance of surviving a fire.
Download tips on fire safety in the home and at work.
We’ve more helpful information on how to keep safe from fire in the home in our fire safety advice leaflet.
As your landlord, we must fit at least one smoke alarm on each floor of the properties you rent. We must also fit a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm in any room with a carbon burning appliance (except a gas cooker).
We must test every alarm at the start of a new tenancy.
You can find more safety information about carbon monoxide here.
Communal areas of residential blocks, including hallways, stairs and shared balconies, are our responsibility. We have a legal obligation to ensure these areas remain safe to use. This is why we ask that they remain free of items that could cause or contribute to a fire, or even prevent you from escaping in the event of a fire.
Colleagues and contractors visit our housing schemes regularly. Where they find items left or stored in a communal area, they will try to identify the owner and ask that the item is removed immediately.
If the items aren’t removed, or the owner can’t be identified, we will arrange for the items to be removed. This will apply to all items, even if they’re needed or in constant use. This is because your safety is paramount.
If we can identify the owner of the item(s), we will charge them for removal costs. If we can’t identify them, then we will split the cost equally between residents through their service charge.
We do understand that storage space is limited, especially for those living in small flats. However, for everyone’s safety, it is important that you keep all your personal belongings inside your home.
If the alarms in your home made by Aico, you can find out more about the alarms by watching the video below.
