Maryland law requires a smoke alarm in every sleeping area of every residential occupancy. Battery-only alarms must be replaced with 10-year sealed-battery units, and all alarms must be replaced when 10 years old. Landlords must maintain them.
Maryland Public Safety §9-102 requires an automatic smoke alarm in each sleeping area of every residential occupancy, including one- and two-family homes, apartments, hotels and dormitories. Since January 1, 2018, battery-only alarms must be replaced with 10-year sealed-battery tamper-resistant alarms with a hush feature; hardwired alarms must be replaced with hardwired units. All smoke alarms must be replaced 10 years from their manufacture date. In rentals, landlords must install and upgrade alarms at each change of occupancy and repair a reported defective alarm within five days. The Baltimore County Fire Marshal enforces the law.
Non-compliance violates Maryland Public Safety Title 9; landlords face enforcement by the county Fire Marshal, and defective alarms must be repaired within five days of written tenant notice.
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