Smoke alarms - mandatory installation

With minimal effort and expense, you can do a lot to ensure your safety and that of your family:

Dangerous fires can break out in homes, especially at night, and smoke can spread within seconds. Exposure to smoke and combustion gases can cause people who are asleep to lose consciousness within a short time. Smoke alarms do not prevent fires, but they can provide an early warning of smoke in the home and wake up people who are asleep with their loud alarm.

Owners of an apartment or a single-family home are required to equip them with smoke alarms (see also Deadlines). All bedrooms and children’s rooms, as well as hallways that serve as escape routes, must each have at least one smoke alarm. These battery-powered devices can easily be installed in the home at a later date and do not require extensive installation work. Battery-powered smoke alarms are available at affordable prices at specialty stores and home improvement stores. The smoke alarms must bear a CE mark in accordance with DIN EN 14604.

As a general rule, tenants are responsible for the maintenance and inspection of the equipment, unless the owners of the apartment have assumed this responsibility.