Clarksville, TN Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger date
- Dwellings sold/leased after April 1, 1984
- Coverage
- Sale, lease, or new tenancy
- Minimum
- 1 detector per sleeping area, per level
- Heat-only detectors
- Not acceptable
- Landlord duty
- Confirm working before re-occupancy
Summary
Since April 1, 1984, no Clarksville dwelling, from single-family houses to mobile homes to boarding-house rooms, can be sold, leased or re-rented without a working smoke detector installed, and heat-only detectors don't count; homes need at least one detector per sleeping area and one on every level.
No single-family residence, duplex, multifamily residence (meaning residences in which three (3) or more families are housed in different sections), apartment, condominium, mobile home or trailer, townhouse, guest room in a motel, hotel, dormitory, or boarding house, nor any basement or cellar within such, sold, leased, or rented to a new or different occupant after April 1, 1984, may be occupied prior to the installation of a smoke detector approved by a major testing laboratory and capable of sensing visible or invisible particles of combustion and providing a suitable audible alarm thereof. Detectors sensitive only to heat are not acceptable. ... In all single-family residences, duplexes, multifamily residences, apartments, condominiums, mobile homes or trailers, and townhouses, at least one smoke detector shall be installed to protect each sleeping area, and there shall be at least one smoke detector installed on each level of such dwellings.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 110 Update 2 | Zoning Ordinance: Supplement 6).
Full Breakdown
The requirement attaches at the point of a sale, lease, or new tenancy after April 1, 1984, and also applies to any structural change costing more than one thousand dollars, which cannot get a building permit unless the dwelling already has, or the work adds, compliant smoke detectors. Sec. 7-207(2) lets detectors be hardwired to the dwelling's power supply, battery-powered, or plugged into an outlet fitted with a plug restrainer so it can't be accidentally unplugged, and any hardwired unit must follow the National Electrical Code.
In hotels, motels, dormitories and boarding houses, Sec. 7-207(4) requires at least one detector in every tenant space, defined as any room used for sleeping such as a suite, plus one on every level of the building; the owner is responsible for maintenance, repair and testing to keep every required detector working, and must keep written records showing compliance. In rental housing generally, Sec. 7-207(6) shifts day-to-day upkeep to the tenant, who must test the unit and cannot disable or remove parts, but the landlord must confirm every required detector is operational and document it before a new tenant moves in after a vacancy.
The section does not touch fire and smoke warning systems in common corridors of covered buildings, which stay governed by the adopted National Fire Protection Association Code and Standard Building Code regardless of anything else in Sec. 7-207.
Violations & Fines
Occupying a covered dwelling after a sale, lease, new tenancy, or a structural change over one thousand dollars without the required smoke detectors violates Sec. 7-207 directly, and a landlord who re-occupies a rental unit without first confirming and documenting that its detector works is separately out of compliance with the owner's re-occupancy duty in subsection (6).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clarksville require smoke detectors in older homes too?
Who has to maintain the smoke detector in my Clarksville rental?
Can I use a battery-only smoke detector in Clarksville?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clarksville
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