Chesterfield County, VA Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Required in
- rented units, hotel/motel rooms, rooming houses
- Legal authority
- Va. Code § 15.2-922
- Hotels/motels
- must test alarms daily at cleaning
- Landlords
- certify alarms annually to tenant and county
- AC alarm permit
- required, but no fee charged
- Violation penalty
- Class 1 misdemeanor, up to $2,500/12 mo
Summary
Chesterfield requires working smoke alarms in every rented dwelling unit, hotel or motel room, and rooming house, authority the state grants in Va. Code § 15.2-922. Landlords must certify annually that alarms are present and working, hotels must test alarms daily, tenants handle interim testing, and violations are a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Sec. 10-21. - Required. Pursuant to the authority set forth in Code of Virginia, § 15.2-922, smoke alarms shall be installed in (i) buildings containing one or more dwelling units which are rented or leased; (ii) hotel or motel rooms and (iii) rooming houses used to provide overnight sleeping accommodations. ... Sec. 10-33. - Enforcement and penalties. The chief of the fire and EMS department and his duly authorized representatives are authorized to administer and enforce the requirements of this article. Failure to comply with the requirements for the installation and maintenance of smoke alarms shall constitute a violation of this chapter and shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $2,500.00 or by imprisonment of not more than 12 months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. The imposition of one penalty for any single violation shall not excuse the violation or permit it to continue and each day that such violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Article II of Chapter 10 sets Chesterfield's smoke-alarm regime. Sec. 10-21 requires smoke alarms 'in (i) buildings containing one or more dwelling units which are rented or leased; (ii) hotel or motel rooms and (iii) rooming houses,' citing the state's grant of authority in Va. 2-922. Sec. 10-22 defines a 'smoke alarm' as a battery- or AC-powered device meeting Underwriters' Laboratories specs for single-station alarms. Sec. 10-31 lets a resident install an AC-powered alarm with a building permit but no permit fee, with placement approved by the fire and EMS department.
Sec. 10-32 splits maintenance duties: hotel and motel operators must test every alarm daily when rooms are cleaned; residential landlords must give tenants a certificate at the start of each tenancy and at least annually confirming all required alarms are present, inspected, and working; tenants handle interim testing and must notify the owner in writing if service is needed; and landlords maintain alarms in hallways, stairwells and other common areas. Landlords must also certify annually, in writing, to the county itself that required alarms are present, inspected, and working. Sec. 10-33 puts the fire and EMS chief and representatives in charge of enforcement and makes noncompliance a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Violations & Fines
Failing to install, maintain, test or certify required smoke alarms under Article II violates Sec. 10-33, chargeable as a Class 1 misdemeanor: a fine up to $2,500.00, up to 12 months in jail, or both, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense enforced by the fire and EMS chief's representatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are landlords in Chesterfield County required to install smoke alarms?
Who is responsible for testing a smoke alarm in a rental?
Do hotels have different smoke alarm duties than apartment landlords?
What's the penalty for not maintaining required smoke alarms?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chesterfield County
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