Avondale, AZ Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Alarm placement
- centrally located near each sleeping area
- Multi-level units
- at least one alarm per level
- 2015 retrofit deadline
- 30 days after effective date
- Power source
- battery or building wiring allowed
- First-offense fine
- $250 (Sec. 14-110)
Summary
Every Avondale residential rental unit must have working smoke alarms centrally located near each sleeping area, with at least one per level in multi-level units and audible alarm throughout the sleeping areas. Sec. 14-300(c)-(g) required retrofits within 30 days of the rule's 2015 effective date where alarms weren't already required or properly placed.
(c)Smoke alarms shall be installed and maintained in good operating condition in accordance with the City Code in effect when the residential rental property was constructed or altered.(d)If smoke alarms were not required when the residential rental property was constructed or altered, or if smoke alarms are not centrally located in each corridor or area giving access to a sleeping area then smoke alarms shall be installed not later than thirty (30) days after the effective date of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. ' Where that construction-era code didn't require alarms, or existing alarms aren't centrally located in each corridor or area giving access to a sleeping area, subsection (d) required the owner to install compliant alarms 'not later than thirty (30) days after the effective date of this chapter,' referencing Ord. No. 1589-1115's November 2, 2015 adoption. The alarms may be battery powered or hardwired to the building's electrical system, and must be mounted on the ceiling or wall at a point centrally located in the corridor or area giving access to each sleeping area (subsection (e)).
Subsection (f) requires the alarm sound audibly in all sleeping areas of the unit, and subsection (g) requires at least one smoke alarm per level in a multi-level rental. The same article separately requires 'systems, devices and equipment to detect a fire, actuate a local alarm, or suppress or control a fire' be kept operable at all times (subsection (b)), and requires every sleeping room have an operable emergency escape window or door (subsection (a)). The Code Compliance Division can obtain an inspection warrant under Sec. 14-150 and Ariz. Rev. §§ 9-1302 and 33-1904(A)(1) if a landlord denies access to verify alarm compliance.
Violations & Fines
A missing, disconnected or improperly placed smoke alarm in a rental unit is a civil violation of Sec. 14-300, enforced through the standard Chapter 14 fine schedule in Sec. 14-110: $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second and $1,000 for a third within 24 months. Owners who fail to correct the violation after notice risk a re-occupancy bar under Sec. 14-370 if the unit goes vacant before the alarm is installed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my Avondale landlord have to install smoke alarms?
Can the smoke alarm be battery powered?
How many smoke alarms does a two-story rental need?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Avondale
Compare Avondale to another location·View the Arizona fire regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Smoke Detectors in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle smoke detectors.