NEW laws making it compulsory for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to be fitted in all rental properties have been welcomed by two Wharfe Valley businesses.

Linley & Simpson, the residential sales and letting agency with branches in Ilkley and Horsforth, and Ignite Gas Care, said the safety legislation was among the most important the sector had witnessed in recent years.

The crackdown, which comes into force in October, is expected to prevent 36 deaths and 1,375 injuries a year, according to Government.

Linley & Simpson director, Will Linley, said: “It gives tenants peace of mind and offers clarity to landlords on what is not just a moral responsibility but one which will also be a legal one too.

“These are practical changes that will usher in a new era of safety.”

It is estimated that one-in-five privately rented properties are not protected by smoke alarms – and many more have failed to install carbon monoxide detectors. Those landlords who fail to take action face hefty fines running into thousands of pounds.

Jon Oldroyd, Managing Director of Horsforth-based Ignite Gas Care,said: “This is an important and long-awaited step forward in keeping Yorkshire safe. Research shows that tenants are four times more likely to die in a house fire if there is no working smoke alarm.”

The changes to the law would require landlords to install smoke alarms on every floor of their property, and test them at the start of every tenancy.

Landlords would also need to install carbon monoxide alarms in high-risk rooms – such as those where a solid fuel heating system is installed.

Those who fail to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms would face a £5,000 fine. This would bring private rented properties into line with existing building regulations that already require newly-built homes to have smoke alarms installed.