Do I need smoke alarms in a rented property?

Yes. At least one smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance.

Gas cookers are the usual exception to the carbon monoxide rule. A wood burner, a gas fire or an oil boiler is not.

You have to make sure the alarms work at the start of each new tenancy. After that, testing is the tenant’s job, but if they report a fault you have to repair or replace it. Hard wired alarms are not required, though they are harder to argue with.