North Carolina requires operable smoke alarms in every rental dwelling, and the state building code requires them in all new and renovated homes. Guilford County follows state law: landlords must provide UL-listed alarms, and new or replacement alarms in rentals must be tamper-resistant 10-year lithium-battery units.
Smoke alarm rules come from state law, not a separate county ordinance. Under NC Gen. Stat. §42-42(a)(5), a landlord must 'provide operable smoke alarms, either battery-operated or electrical, having an Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., listing or other equivalent national testing laboratory approval, and install the smoke alarms in accordance with either the standards of the National Fire Protection Association or the minimum protection designated in the manufacturer's instructions.' The alarm must be operable and in good repair at the start of each tenancy. Since 2013, any newly installed or replacement alarm in a rental must be a tamper-resistant 10-year lithium-battery unit (unless the home has hardwired alarms with battery backup). Landlords must repair or replace a reported alarm within 15 days.
A landlord who fails to install required smoke alarms within 30 days of written notice from a tenant or government agent faces a civil penalty of up to $250 per violation under §42-42. Building-code alarm requirements are enforced through Guilford
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