Smoke detector loophole for social housing tenants

An investigation has found landlords in Scotland are subject to far tighter scrutiny over fire regulations than their counterparts in housing associations and local authorities.

A probe has discovered there is a two-tier legal system when it comes to the guidelines applied to different types of homes.

The revelation comes in the midst of the tragedy at Grenfell Tower in London.

Following this the Scottish Government has ordered an urgent review into tower block safety.

However an alarming lack of regulation has emerged in the social housing sector.

Here landlords are only required to provide one smoke detector – which does not even need to be functioning.

The regulations state: “There is no requirement to determine if existing smoke detectors are in working order, e.g. whether battery-powered detectors contain discharged or no batteries, because the minimum Scottish Housing Quality Standard’s requirement is the presence of a smoke detector not the presence of a working smoke detector.”

By contract private landlords have to provide a working smoke alarm in a living room and in every circulation space as well as a heat alarm in every kitchen.

Iain MacInnes, who works at the Scottish Tenants Organisation, called for an urgent review into this. He said: “We hope the Scottish Government correct this anomaly.

“Presently it affords people renting in the private sector more protection than those living in social housing.”

People lit candles and left tributes at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower