Smoke alarms in France: rules, upkeep and lettings

Which homes are affected?

All of them. The Building and Housing Code sets out the principle in article L142-1: in the event of a fire in a home, “the occupants must be able to be alerted automatically by a smoke detection device from the start of the fire”. Article R142-2, in its version in force since 13 June 2025, draws the practical rule from this: every home, “whether in an individual or a collective dwelling”, is fitted with at least one alarm.

The deadline for fitting was 8 March 2015. ANIL specifies that owners who had signed a contract to buy alarms before that date were deemed compliant, provided they installed the device before 1 January 2016 (Act no. 2015-990 of 6 August 2015, art. 71).

Who installs, who maintains?

The basic split, as set out by service-public.gouv.fr:

In an unfurnished let, the landlord must also check that the alarm works at the état des lieux d’entrée (check-in inventory). The tenant, for their part, must “maintain and replace the smoke alarm” as part of routine upkeep (service-public.gouv.fr, fiche on tenant repairs). In practice, ANIL cites replacing the batteries and testing the device regularly.

Logements-foyers managed by approved letting intermediation and management bodies are the responsibility of those bodies. For habitat inclusif (inclusive shared housing), the responsibility lies with the owner, who can delegate it by agreement.

Which device to choose, and where to fit it?

The requirements noted by service-public.gouv.fr:

• CE marking together with a reference to the standard NF EN 14604;
• battery powered, or mains powered provided there is a back-up power supply;
• ionisation alarms banned, as they are radioactive;
• models with a light or vibrating signal exist for deaf or hard-of-hearing people.

ANIL, in its analysis updated to 4 February 2015, specifies that the arrêté (ministerial order) of 5 February 2013 requires an alarm signal of at least 85 dB(A) measured at 3 metres.

As for location, the alarm is fixed securely to the ceiling, preferably in the circulation area serving the bedrooms (corridor, landing). In a studio flat, it is placed as far as possible from the kitchen and bathroom. One alarm per floor is recommended in homes on several levels, and several alarms in large homes. It is, however, prohibited to install them in the parties communes (common parts) of a building (service-public.gouv.fr). In these common parts, article L142-2 requires owners to take other safety measures to prevent fire from spreading.

Insurance: notification and compensation

The occupier must inform their home insurer that the home is fitted, by providing a certificate together with proof of purchase or installation: invoice, photo, certificate of conformity (service-public.gouv.fr; article R142-5). An official template letter is available on service-public.gouv.fr.

And if the alarm is missing on the day of the fire? According to service-public.gouv.fr, “the insurer cannot refuse to pay out” for a fire on this ground. It may, however, consider a reduction in compensation if it proves that the absence of an alarm made the consequences of the fire worse. Conversely, ANIL notes that article L122-9 of the code des assurances (Insurance Code) allows the insurer to provide for a reduced premium where an alarm is installed and maintained.

Articles L142-1 to L142-4 as consulted set no fine for the absence of an alarm in a home. The only fine in the chapter, €3,750, concerns breaching a mayor’s order on the storage of explosive or flammable materials (article L142-3).

Which professional to consult

When a property is let, the agent immobilier (estate agent) managing it checks the alarm at the check-in inventory. For a question on how obligations are split in a furnished lease, a holiday let or tied accommodation, the notaire (notary) or the ADIL (departmental housing information agency, part of the ANIL network) in your département can advise you.