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Arlington, TX Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified April 2026

Key Facts

Smoke Alarm
Smoke alarms required in every bedroom, outside each
Governed by Texas
Governed by Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 766 and Property Code §92.251
Battery-only alarms must
Battery-only alarms must be replaced with 10-year sealed
Landlord Responsibility
Landlords must install and maintain alarms in all rental units
Arlington Fire Department
Arlington Fire Department offers free alarms to qualifying low-income households

Summary

Arlington follows Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 766 requiring smoke alarms in every sleeping area and outside each separate bedroom of all one- and two-family dwellings. Landlords must provide and maintain detectors in all rental units, and battery-powered alarms must be replaced with 10-year sealed lithium units on failure.

Sec. 92.255. INSTALLATION AND LOCATION. (a) A landlord shall install at least one smoke alarm in each separate bedroom in a dwelling unit. In addition: (1) if the dwelling unit is designed to use a single room for dining, living, and sleeping, the smoke alarm must be located inside the room; (2) if multiple bedrooms are served by the same corridor, at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the corridor in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms; and (3) if the dwelling unit has multiple levels, at least one smoke alarm must be located on each level.

Source: Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 766View official code

Full Breakdown

251 governing rental dwellings. Every one- and two-family dwelling, townhouse, and multifamily unit must have a working smoke alarm installed inside each sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of bedrooms, and on each story including basements. Alarms must be interconnected in homes built or substantially remodeled after 2009 so that activation of one triggers all. 0251. In rental properties, landlords bear full responsibility for installation and maintenance: tenants may not remove, disable, or fail to report inoperative alarms, and landlords must inspect at each tenancy turnover. 260. Arlington Fire Department offers free smoke alarms to qualifying low-income residents through the Home Safety Program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my landlord charge me for smoke detector batteries?
No. Under Texas Property Code §92.251, smoke alarm installation and maintenance including batteries is the landlord's responsibility.
Do I need interconnected smoke alarms in my older Arlington home?
Not retroactively. Interconnection is required for homes built or substantially remodeled after 2009; existing battery alarms remain acceptable if functional.

Sources & Official References

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