Newport News, VA Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- City Code § 16-41
- Standard
- Uniform Statewide Building Code
- Certification
- Annual written certificate to tenant
- Penalty
- Class 1 misdemeanor, up to $2,500
Summary
Newport News landlords must install smoke alarms meeting the Uniform Statewide Building Code in every rental dwelling, hotel, motel, and rooming house, and certify them to tenants annually under City Code § 16-41.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any building to occupy, lease or rent any dwelling or dwelling unit or to operate, use or permit any building, or part thereof, to be operated or used as a hotel, motel or rooming house until smoke alarms have been installed in it in conformance with the provisions of the Uniform Statewide Building Code. Smoke alarms installed pursuant to this section shall be installed only in conformance with the provisions of the Uniform Statewide Building Code and shall be permitted to be either battery operated or AC powered. Such installation shall not require new or additional wiring and shall be maintained in accordance with the Statewide Fire Prevention Code and subdivision C 6 of § 36-105, Part II of the Uniform Statewide Building Code.
(Ord. No. 2879-82; Ord. No. 2966-82; Ord. No. 4053-90, § 1; Ord. No. 7532-19, § 1)
Editor's note— Ord. No. 7532-19, § 1, adopted July 1, 2019, amended the title of § 16-41 to read as herein set out. The former § 16-41 pertained to smoke detectors required.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 81).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 16-41 makes it unlawful for an owner to lease, rent, or operate as a hotel, motel, or rooming house any dwelling that lacks smoke alarms installed to Uniform Statewide Building Code standards. Alarms may be battery-powered or AC-wired and installation must not require new wiring. Under § 16-42, owners must give each tenant a written certificate at the start of every tenancy, and at least annually after that, confirming all smoke alarms are present, inspected, and working. Interim testing and maintenance inside a leased unit is the tenant's job under § 16-43, except in shared areas of multi-family buildings, which the owner must maintain.
Violations & Fines
Violating the smoke alarm article is a Class 1 misdemeanor under § 16-45: up to a $2,500 fine, up to 12 months in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are landlords required to install smoke alarms in Newport News rentals?
How often must a Newport News landlord certify smoke alarms?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newport News
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