Selling or buying a property!

Don’t be alarmed!

Here are a few things to consider during the process

With Trove Easton of Easton Lawyers, Maleny

The new year has brought with it numerous changes in the law around real estate sales in Queensland, not the least of which involve utterly essential smoke alarms.

For example, the new laws state that smoke alarms must: be installed in each bedroom; on each storey of a house and in hallways which connect bedrooms to the rest of the house; be photoelectric and comply with AS 3786-2014; be powered by either 240 volt or a 10-year lithium battery; and be interconnected with every other smoke alarm in the house so they all activate together.

Smoke alarms must meet these requirements prior to the contract being signed and if the seller doesn’t comply, the buyer is entitled to an adjustment (read penalty) at settlement equal to 0.15% of the purchase price

If the seller has not complied after settlement, the buyer must install compliant smoke alarms. With so many new laws to adhere to, it is recommended that sellers use a professional smoke alarm provider to upgrade the smoke alarms in their properties.

We strongly recommended sellers book their properties in for a smoke alarm upgrade when listing their properties for sale as they are competing for available smoke alarm providers, with hundreds of rental properties that also need to comply with the new 2022 laws.

From 1 January 2022 all rental properties must comply with the new law at commencement of a new lease or a lease renewal.

Research suggests only 50% of Queensland rentals are currently compliant, creating a wait time of four to six weeks for a smoke alarm upgrade according to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ).

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