Smoke detector obligation from 1 July 2022.
From 1 July 2022 it is mandatory in the Netherlands to have a smoke detector on every residential floor in your house and in confined spaces through which an escape route runs. The Building Decree is being amended for this and it is therefore legally obliged to comply with this to fulfil. Even if you live in a rented house.
When are smoke detectors mandatory?
Smoke detectors will be mandatory from 1 July 2022.
This applies to every residential floor in every house.
Both owner-occupied and rental homes and both existing and new construction must comply to fulfil.
The obligation also applies to confined spaces that serve as an escape route.
What does this mean for me?
Do you already have working smoke detectors on every floor? Then this amendment has no consequences for you. If you don’t have smoke detectors yet, it’s time to turn them buy. An approved fire detector must be installed on every building layer. A attic that does not serve as a living space does not need to have a smoke detector. If your private corridor on the ground floor is an escape route for a floor above, then You also need to put up a working smoke detector there.
In contrast to new-build homes where the law has been in force since 2003, there are no requirements for the interconnection of the reporters. The fire detectors also need not be connected to the 230V/electricity network; a fire detector with batteries is sufficient already.
What should I pay attention to when buying smoke detectors?
You do not have to comply with anything according to the law with regard to the specifications of the smoke alarm. The detectors must comply with NEN-14604 and a CE mark to have. So be careful with smoke detectors from vague brands and smoke detectors that are very cheap to be. Take it from us: cheap is often expensive with smoke detectors.
For example, you are not obliged to install a smoke detector with a 10-year battery or connect smoke detectors to the mains. A fire detector with a 1 year battery can so also fine. Our advice is to do it right right away and buy smoke detectors with a 10 year battery. Then you will be rid of annoying beeps in the middle of the night for 10 years and you no longer have to change batteries.
What will the law soon be?
The law does not prescribe which fire detector you must install. So there is from the government
has not chosen to align the new rules for existing houses with the regulations for new construction. In new buildings, a smoke detector must be connected to 230v/mains voltage and equipped with a back-up battery. For existing buildings are battery-operated smoke detectors are sufficient. The link also does not apply to smoke detectors such as in the new building.
The law will soon state that the obligation will apply to building layers with a occupied space or with a confined space through which an escape route passes between the exit of a living space and the exit from the residential function. The bottom line is that on every floor a smoke detector must be installed.
For more information, please contact i.b. Prevention Team@gmail.com
Gertjan van den Heuvel,
Prevention team Eindhoven