Stand-alone smoke detectors are compulsory in buildings containing at least one dwelling. Since 1 January 2023 the obligation also covers existing dwellings. Installation is the owner's responsibility or, for the parts concerned, the co-owners' association's; maintenance falls to the occupant or to the association depending on the situation.
What is the legal basis?
The law of 6 December 2019 introduced the compulsory installation of stand-alone smoke detectors for buildings containing at least one dwelling.
It was implemented gradually, and the obligation was then extended to existing dwellings on 1 January 2023.
Where must the detectors be installed?
The rules cover in particular the escape routes and the bedrooms.
The number therefore depends on how the dwelling is laid out.
A detector placed in a room chosen at random does not meet the protective logic the text sets out.
Who is responsible for installation?
Within the dwelling, installation is the owner's responsibility.
In the parts for which the co-ownership is responsible, installation falls to the co-owners' association.
Maintenance falls to the occupant inside the dwelling and to the association for the parts that come under it.
What must the detector comply with?
The device must be certified as complying with the applicable harmonised standard and bear the CE marking.
That is something an owner can genuinely check at the time of purchase.
Should it be tested?
Yes.
Official guidance recommends periodic testing, of the order of twice a year. That is a safety recommendation; the exact frequency also depends on the manufacturer's instructions.
Is it really compulsory?
Yes.
The obligation follows from the law and has applied to existing dwellings since 1 January 2023.
A stand-alone smoke detector is therefore not a comfort feature left to individual judgement.