The short answer
Landlords and tenants have different duties. The landlord must provide compliant alarms and arrange testing and cleaning within the 30 days before a tenancy starts or is renewed. During the tenancy, tenants must test and clean alarms at least every 12 months. A paid annual service certificate is not automatically required by domestic smoke-alarm law.
Sources: QFD — smoke-alarm FAQs · RTA — smoke alarms in rental properties
What must the landlord do before a lease starts or renews?
Check that the alarms are compliant, tested and cleaned within the required 30-day window. Flat or nearly flat batteries must also be addressed. QFD treats renewal or extension of a tenancy as a new tenancy right for these purposes.
A recent service date alone is not enough if it falls outside the required window. Owners cannot pass their own pre-tenancy obligations to the tenant. Coordinate the dates with the property manager before arranging access.
Sources: QFD — smoke-alarm FAQs · RTA — smoke alarms in rental properties
What must the tenant do during the tenancy?
Test and clean the alarms at least every 12 months and replace applicable flat or nearly flat user-replaceable batteries, following the manufacturer's instructions. Report a faulty alarm to the owner or property manager promptly; a non-functioning alarm may be an emergency repair.
Do not open a sealed-battery alarm, disconnect a hardwired unit or assume the tenant must pay for every replacement alarm. Ask the RTA about an individual repair or payment dispute.
Is a paid annual smoke-alarm certificate compulsory?
No—not as a blanket requirement for routine domestic alarm testing and cleaning. QFD says no qualification or certification is legally required for those activities. A property manager may arrange a paid maintenance service and request a certificate as proof of that service.
That does not make the service pointless, or remove the testing duties. It means a management agreement or service package should not be confused with a universal legal requirement to purchase an annual certificate. Ask what work is included and why it is being requested.
Sources: QFD — smoke-alarm FAQs
What if an electrician installs or replaces hardwired alarms?
That is a different question. Connecting 240-volt alarms requires a licensed electrician. Electrical installation work has separate testing and certification requirements, and the required certificate information may be included on an invoice. 'No mandatory annual service certificate' does not mean 'no paperwork for electrical work'.
Sources: QFD — smoke-alarm FAQs · WorkSafe Queensland — electrical work certificates
Does this cover every rental building?
This guide concerns domestic rental dwellings in Queensland. Do not apply it unchanged to commercial detection systems, rooming accommodation or common-property fire systems. For alarm types, locations and the owner-occupier deadline, read the linked 2027 requirements guide below.
Sources & further reading
Information checked on 5 September 2026. General Queensland guidance does not replace an assessment of your property, its approvals or equipment.