Since 8 March 2015 every home in France must be equipped with a smoke detector (DAAF, détecteur avertisseur autonome de fumée) in compliance with new regulations introduced by the loi ALUR.
Responsibility of the owner/landlord
The responsibility for the installation lies with the owner of the property. In the case of a rented accommodation it is therefore the landlord who must insure that the proper equipment is installed, not the occupant.
Has the tenant been in the property since before March 2015, the owner can comply with the legal requirement by merely providing a DAAF smoke detector to the tenant or, in case it has already been installed by reimbursing the cost.
The requirement is that one device should be installed per accommodation. It is to be fixed on the ceiling and should have a distance of 50 cm to the walls.
Maintenance and replacement
The maintenance or any necessary replacement of the device during the duration of the tenancy remains the responsibility of the tenant.
What happens if I don’t?
The level of penalties arising from non-compliance have not been specified. However, any failure to install a smoke detector can result in a waiver of liability of the house insurer in case of fire, or an increase in the amount of the insurance premium.