Franklin, TN Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard required
- UL 217-listed smoke alarms
- Placement
- Sleeping areas, egress path rooms, every story
- Applies to
- Short-term vacation rentals (STVR)
- Tied to
- Certificate of use and occupancy
- Complaint threshold
- 3+ complaints/year triggers written notice
Summary
Every Franklin short-term vacation rental must have UL 217-listed smoke alarms in each sleeping area, in every room along the egress path from a sleeping area to the exit door, and on each story of the unit including basements, under Sec. 13-208. It's one of several safety conditions, alongside the certificate of use and occupancy and $1,000,000 liability insurance, tied to keeping the STVR permit.
The STVR shall have approved smoke alarms meeting underwriters laboratory (UL) 217 standards installed as follows:(1)In all sleeping areas.(2)In every room in the path of the means of egress from the sleeping area to the door leading from the sleeping unit.(3)In each story within the sleeping unit, including basements.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Section 13-208, Smoke detectors required, sits in title 13, chapter 2, the Short Term Vacation Rentals ordinance, and applies specifically to STVR units. It requires approved smoke alarms meeting Underwriters Laboratory (UL) 217 standards placed in three locations: in all sleeping areas; in every room in the path of the means of egress from the sleeping area to the door leading from the sleeping unit; and in each story within the sleeping unit, including basements. The requirement is layered onto Franklin's broader STVR compliance package rather than standing alone: Sec.
13-203 makes the owner responsible for keeping the unit compliant with the Municipal Code, the zoning ordinance, and adopted construction codes, and requires a locally based responsible party who addresses maintenance and safety concerns. The certificate of use and occupancy under Sec. 13-202 must be current before the unit can legally operate, and BNS reviews complaints, including safety complaints, under Sec. 13-216: three or more complaints against a permit in a calendar year trigger written notice to the permit holder, and confirmed violations of this section or any other ordinance or law relating to STVRs can lead the board of mayor and aldermen to revoke the right to operate.
Because the smoke-alarm rule is a condition of the STVR certificate rather than a separate permit, failing to install or maintain UL 217 alarms in the required locations exposes the certificate itself, not just the owner, to enforcement action.
Violations & Fines
Missing or noncompliant smoke alarms are a violation of the STVR chapter that can trigger a BNS complaint review under Sec. 13-216. Three or more complaints, including safety complaints, against the same STVR in a calendar year require written notice to the permit holder, and after 15 days' notice, BNS can seek revocation of the right to operate before the board of mayor and aldermen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where must smoke alarms go in a Franklin STVR?
Who checks smoke alarm compliance in a Franklin STVR?
Can a Franklin STVR lose its permit over a smoke alarm problem?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin
Compare Franklin to another location·View the Tennessee fire regulations overview
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