Portsmouth, VA Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Fire, rescue and emergency services chief
- Required in
- Dwelling units, hotels, motels, roominghouses
- AC-powered units
- Building permit required, fee per ch. 7
- Landlord repair window
- 5 days of written tenant notice
- Tenant certification
- At move-in and at least annually
- Penalty class
- Class 1 misdemeanor
Summary
Portsmouth requires smoke detectors in every building with a dwelling unit, hotel, motel, or roominghouse offering overnight sleeping accommodations. Installation must follow the building code, and AC-powered units need a permit through the fire marshal's office under Chapter 13, Article V.
Sec. 13-135. - Where required. Smoke detectors shall be installed in all of the following structures or buildings: (1)Any building containing one or more dwelling units.(2)Any hotel or motel regularly used, offered for or intended to be used to provide overnight sleeping accommodations for one or more persons.(3)Roominghouses regularly used to provide overnight sleeping accommodations. Sec. 13-136. - Installation. Appropriate permits and inspections, as required by the building code, must be secured for the installation of smoke detectors powered by alternating current, with the fees prescribed in chapter 7 of this Code being charged for the permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
City Code Chapter 13, Article V spells out where detectors go and who maintains them. 2-922 as the state authority behind the hotel/motel requirement. Section 13-136 requires the owner to secure the appropriate building-code permits and inspections before installing an alternating-current smoke detector, with fees charged under the Chapter 7 fee schedule; battery-powered units are not subject to that permit step. Section 13-137 sets the performance standard: the unit must sense visible or invisible combustion products and sound an alarm loud enough to warn occupants, with detectors in individual dwelling units only required to alert that unit.
16; the tenant is responsible only for reasonable care and interim testing. Section 13-139 requires the owner of any rented or leased dwelling unit to give the tenant written certification, at the start of each tenancy and at least annually after that, that all detectors required by Section 13-135 are present, inspected, and in good working order. Section 13-134 puts the chief of the department of fire, rescue and emergency services in charge of administering and enforcing the article, and Section 13-133 makes clear that meeting the smoke detector article does not excuse compliance with the rest of the building code.
Violations & Fines
Section 13-132 makes a violation of Article V a class 1 misdemeanor, Portsmouth's most serious misdemeanor tier, carrying up to 12 months in jail and a fine up to $2,500 under the general penalty in Section 1-11. A landlord who fails to repair or replace a malfunctioning detector within the five-day window set by Section 13-138 is separately out of compliance with that owner obligation, independent of the misdemeanor exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every rental unit in Portsmouth need a smoke detector?
Do I need a permit to install a smoke detector in Portsmouth?
How often must a Portsmouth landlord certify smoke detectors are working?
Who fixes a broken smoke detector in a Portsmouth apartment building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portsmouth
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