Burlington Smoke Detector Regulations
On May 31, 2004, new regulations went into place with regard to hard-wired, interconnected smoke detectors in rental dwellings.
What follows are the basics of the ordinances (§ 18-99. Smoke detectors) technical requirements:
- Owners of every dwelling, rooming house, dwelling unit or rooming unit let to another for occupancy are required to install "AC/DC" smoke detectors inside and outside of all sleeping areas, with at least one on every floor except unfinished attics and crawl spaces.
- Detectors/alarms shall not be located within kitchens or garages or in other spaces where temperatures can fall below 40 degrees F (4 degrees C) or exceed 100 degrees F (38 degrees C).
- Detectors/alarms shall not, unless specifically listed for the application, be located closer than 3 feet (0.9 m) horizontally from: (*) the door to a kitchen (*) the door to a bathroom containing a tub or shower (*) the supply registers of a forced air heating or cooling system, and outside of the airflow from those registers.
- Smoke detectors/alarms must receive their operating power from the building electrical system but must also receive power from a battery to power the detector when the building electrical system power is interrupted.
- Smoke detectors/alarms within each dwelling unit or rooming unit must be interconnected so that the sensing of smoke by one detector sounds the alarms of all detectors within that dwelling unit or rooming unit.
- Smoke detectors/alarms shall be approved or listed by a nationally recognized testing or listing agency for the purposes for which they are intended.
- Smoke detectors/alarms shall be properly installed and shall be maintained in good working condition. A Vermont licensed master electrician must do the installation and a permit is required to be gotten and closed out from the City electrical inspector.
- Owners may apply in writing for approval of alternate installations with an equivalent level of safety, or for time extensions to meet the requirements
Please phone our office at (802)863-0442 if you have questions or need assistance - we are here to help. We appreciate your cooperation.