Fitting smoke alarms: Where this is now mandatory

In order to reduce the number of fire victims in people's own homes, smoke alarms are gradually being made compulsory in almost all federal states. The circle was expanded again on January 1, 2016: from now on, smoke alarms are also mandatory in new buildings in Berlin and Saxony. The same applies to existing buildings in Bremen, Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. For the foreseeable future, smoke alarms are not mandatory in Brandenburg and for existing buildings in Saxony.

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03/18/2016, 16:04
Das Rauchmelder anbringen und regelmäßige Wartung sind die Pflicht des Wohnungsbesitzers© iStock/Highwaystarz-Photography
Installing and checking smoke alarms is the duty of the homeowner

The apartment owner must install the smoke detector. In many federal states, however, the resident - i.e. the tenant - is responsible for smoke detector maintenance. So far, the smoke detector obligation has hardly been checked at all. However, if a fire breaks out and no smoke alarm is fitted, it will be expensive for the defaulting owner.

Fitting smoke alarms: Overview of the individual federal states

  • Baden-Württemberg: Mandatory for existing and new buildings
  • Bavaria: Mandatory for existing buildings from 2018, mandatory for new buildings
  • Berlin: mandatory for existing buildings from 2020, mandatory for new buildings from 2016
  • Brandenburg: not mandatory for existing and new buildings
  • Bremen: Mandatory for existing buildings from 2016, mandatory for new buildings
  • Hamburg: mandatory for existing and new buildings
  • Hesse: Mandatory for existing and new buildings
  • Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Mandatory for existing and new buildings
  • Lower Saxony: Mandatory for existing buildings from 2016, mandatory for new buildings
  • North Rhine-Westphalia: Mandatory for existing buildings from 2017, mandatory for new buildings
  • Rhineland-Palatinate: Mandatory for existing and new buildings
  • Saarland: mandatory for existing buildings from 2017, mandatory for new buildings
  • Saxony: no obligation for existing buildings, obligation for new buildings from 2016
  • Saxony-Anhalt: mandatory for existing buildings from 2016, mandatory for new buildings
  • Schleswig-Holstein: mandatory for existing and new buildings
  • Thuringia: Mandatory for existing buildings from 2019, mandatory for new buildings