SFHA has commissioned TC Young to produce a briefing regarding smoke alarms in shared ownership, shared equity and factored properties. As part of this, TC Young will seek counsel opinion – particularly regarding some issues members are encountering with insurance. 

SFHA has received some initial assurances from Scottish Government that – in its view – there is no requirement or expectation on RSLs to check if owners have installed smoke alarms. However, some members have been encountering issues from insurance companies as they have indicated that smoke alarms not being installed in these properties could invalidate insurance policies. This is particularly an issue in mixed tenure blocks.

The briefing will cover the following:

  1. The overall implications of new smoke alarm regulations for shared ownership and other non-traditional tenures (such as shared equity and factored owners)
  2. Confirmation on whether there is any requirement on RSLs to seek access to shared ownership properties to ensure compliance with new smoke alarm regulations and what role the local authority should play
  3. The implications for insurance purposes of shared ownership homes being non-compliant with new smoke alarm regulations – with counsel opinion on whether insurers are in a position to invalidate policies based on requirements

The briefing will be available to members in January 2022.  If you have any queries about this piece of work, please contact Alan Stokes, Policy Lead astokes@sfha.co.uk