Since February 2022, every home in Scotland has been legally required to have a specific set of fire and carbon monoxide alarms — and they must be interlinked, meaning if one goes off, they all go off.
This isn't guidance or a recommendation. It's the law under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014, and it applies to all housing tenures — whether you own your home, rent it privately, or live in social housing.
What does Scottish law require?
The minimum legal requirement for every Scottish home is:
- One smoke alarm in the room you use most during the day (usually the living room)
- One smoke alarm in every hallway and landing that connects to a bedroom
- One heat alarm in the kitchen
- All of the above must be interlinked
Additionally, if your home has a carbon-fuelled appliance — a gas boiler, gas fire, gas cooker, oil boiler, wood burner, or open fireplace — you must also have:
- At least one carbon monoxide (CO) detector in the same room as the appliance
Why the CO detector requirement matters for boiler owners
If you have a gas boiler — which covers most Edinburgh and East Lothian homes — you need a carbon monoxide detector in the same room as the boiler. Carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless, and potentially fatal. A faulty or poorly maintained boiler is the most common source in domestic properties.
This is one of the reasons we emphasise annual boiler servicing so strongly. A Gas Safe engineer checking your boiler each year can identify combustion faults before they become a CO risk. But even a well-maintained boiler can develop faults between services — a CO detector in the boiler room is your safety net.
What type of alarms are required?
The alarms must be:
- Tamper-proof (not easily removable)
- Interlinked — when one activates, all sound simultaneously
- Either hard-wired or long-life sealed battery (removable battery alarms no longer meet the standard)
Mains-wired interlinked systems with battery backup are the gold standard. Long-life sealed battery systems (10-year batteries) are also compliant and don't require electrical installation.
Who is responsible for compliance?
For owner-occupied homes: the homeowner is responsible for ensuring compliance.
For rental properties: the landlord is responsible. Non-compliance can affect your ability to let the property and your insurance.
How we can help
While we don't install alarm systems, we do the boiler and gas safety work that sits alongside them. If your gas safety check or annual boiler service is overdue, getting it done now is the sensible companion to getting your alarms in order.
An up-to-date Gas Safety Certificate and annual boiler service record, together with a CO detector in the boiler room, gives you — and your insurer — a much clearer picture of safety in your home.
Call us on 07719 488 282 to book your boiler service or gas safety check.