Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Section 213-40A(29) of the Housing and Property Maintenance Code covers smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and is written as a set of owner duties for installed units. First, the owner of a multiple dwelling must supply each occupant with a copy of the manufacturer's printed instructions for testing the installed unit or units. Second, if an occupant tells the owner that he or she cannot perform the required monthly testing, or have a member of the household do it, the owner must perform the monthly testing. Third, the owner of any rental unit or hotel room, or the owner's representative, must inspect each unit whenever a change of occupant occurs and must clean the unit or replace batteries whenever necessary. The section governs instructions, testing and battery upkeep; it does not print where detectors must be placed, and § 213-2A sends terms the chapter does not define to the Uniform Construction Code.

The occupant carries a matching duty in § 213-43P. Every occupant of a dwelling unit in a multiple dwelling must test all detector units in his or her own unit monthly and report any malfunction to the building owner immediately. An occupant who cannot test because of a mental or physical impairment, with no household member able to do it, must notify the owner or the owner's representative, which triggers the owner's duty under § 213-40A(29)(b).

The change-of-occupant inspection pairs with the housing certificate in Chapter 214. Before a residential rental is rented or changes occupancy, the housing inspector must find that no visible violations of the Property Maintenance Code exist (§ 214-1A), and the certificate fee is $60 per dwelling unit (§ 214-3). Rental properties with three or more dwelling units are also inspected biennially at $40 per unit (§§ 315-8 and 315-14).

The Senior Housing Inspector enforces the chapter (§ 213-8), and notice of violation is written, states the penalty, and allows a reasonable time not to exceed 30 days to correct (§ 213-16B).