With the change in the law, the housing association must acquire smoke alarms and take care of them. It is the resident's responsibility to use them appropriately and to report faults and dead batteries.
Responsibility fire alarms in apartments are transferred from the residents to the owner of the building due to a recent change in the law.
Until now, the purchase and maintenance of fire alarms has been the responsibility of the residents. The amendment to the Rescue Act that entered into force at the turn of the year transfers the responsibility for this to the owner of the building, i.e. in practice to the housing association.
It is the responsibility of the resident to continue to test and use the fire alarm in accordance with the instructions so that the fire alarm remains in working order. It is also the responsibility of the resident to report a fault in the fire alarm and the end of the batteries.
The change in the law aims to improve fire safety, because up until now, fire alarm issues in many apartments have been in bad shape, says a leading expert Kari Telaranta From the Central Organization of Finnish Rescue Services (SPEK).
of SPEK according to up to 70 percent of rental apartments do not have a smoke alarm, the alarm does not have a battery or the smoke alarm does not work. As a general rule, there should be at least one fire alarm per 60 square meters.
According to a study by SPEK and the Housing Finance and Development Center (ARA), there are significantly more problems with smoke detectors in rental apartments where the tenant has taken care of the smoke detectors himself, than in apartments where the landlord has taken care of them at least to some extent.
There was no fire alarm at all, it had been removed or expired, the battery was incorrectly installed, or there are not enough fire alarms.
“There was a huge difference in the prevalence and reliability of fire alarms,” says Telaranta.
The absence of a fire alarm, dead batteries or the fire alarm not working is behind up to 63 percent of fatal fires.
In the years 2018-2022, approximately fifty fatal fires have occurred in Finland each year. The number of fire deaths has remained fairly constant in recent years.
Is it's good that the responsibility for fire alarms is now being transferred from the residents to the housing associations, says the director as well Marianne Falck-Hvilstafeldt From the hosting association.
According to him, the change is important because many residents have everyday challenges and fire alarm issues are not the first thing on their mind. For example, the elderly live in their homes longer and longer. There is a memory disorder and mobility restrictions.
In the future, the purchase and maintenance of fire alarms will be handled centrally and systematically in all apartments of the housing company.
“The fact that the fire alarms are in order is a safety issue for the entire house's residents. Even if a fire breaks out in one apartment, it endangers everyone's safety,” says Falck-Hvilstafeldt.
The transition period for the introduction of the law change is until the beginning of 2026. However, Isännöintliitto encourages housing associations and property managers to prepare for the transfer of responsibility “in the front seat”.
“It's not a rush yet, but it makes it easier for the housing company if it's planned and in good time in traffic,” says Falck-Hvilstafeldt.
Thus, fire alarms can be taken into account in budgeting. The installation can perhaps be carried out as planned in connection with renovation or other maintenance work.
On the market there are different smoke detector models, from cheap battery-powered smoke detectors to expensive smart detectors.
“The more money you put into them, the better features you get. They can make everyday life and maintenance costs easier. That's why it's worth thinking about which technical solution makes the most sense to get for your own housing association. The placement and number of smoke detectors will now also be assessed by housing associations,” says Telaranta.
According to him, at the same time, building societies should also think about joint operating methods and guidelines for them. He also urges residents to actively demand comprehensive guidelines.
“What to do if the fire alarm goes off unnecessarily in the middle of the night. Or if the resident is on vacation, the apartment is locked and it starts to sound the alarm. It's worth thinking about these in advance, so that you can think about everything that can happen at once and how you can prepare for these situations,” says Telaranta.
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