Gilbert follows the 2018 International Residential Code (Section R314) and 2018 International Fire Code adopted statewide in Arizona. Smoke alarms are required inside every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every story of a dwelling, all interconnected so one alarm sounds them all. Statewide A.R.S. § 36-1637 governs landlord/tenant duties.
Gilbert enforces the 2018 International Residential Code and 2018 International Fire Code (the editions adopted by the State Fire Marshal for Arizona) for residential smoke alarms. Under IRC Section R314, single- or multiple-station smoke alarms must be installed inside each sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms (typically the hallway), and on each additional story of the dwelling, including basements and habitable attics. Alarms within an individual unit must be interconnected so that activation of one sounds all of them. New construction and additions or alterations requiring a permit must use hardwired alarms with battery backup; in existing dwellings where no construction permit is being pulled, battery-only alarms remain acceptable. For rental homes, A.R.S. § 36-1637 makes the landlord responsible for installing approved smoke detectors during construction or permitted remodel of a sleeping area and for repairing detectors after the tenant gives written notice; tenants are responsible for routine testing and battery replacement. Confirm current local amendments with Gilbert Fire & Rescue at 480-503-6300.
Failure to install required smoke alarms during permitted construction or remodel of a sleeping area, or to interconnect alarms within a unit, violates the adopted IRC Section R314 and can trigger correction notices, permit holds, and inspection failures. Landlords who do not repair detectors after written tenant notice may face civil liability under A.R.S. § 36-1637.
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