Roanoke, VA Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Section 12-33 makes it unlawful for an owner to occupy, lease or rent any dwelling or dwelling unit, or to operate a building as a hotel, motel or rooming house, until smoke alarms are installed in conformance with the Uniform Statewide Building Code. Alarms may be battery-operated or AC-powered and installation cannot require new or additional wiring; once installed, they must be maintained under the Statewide Fire Prevention Code (§ 27-94 et seq.) and Part III of the Uniform Statewide Building Code.

For rentals, § 12-34 requires the owner to give each tenant a certificate at the start of every tenancy, and at least annually after that, stating that all smoke alarms are present, have been inspected by the owner, an employee or an independent contractor, and are in good working order. Section 12-35 splits maintenance responsibility: the owner must keep smoke alarms in public or common areas of multifamily buildings in good working condition, while interim testing, repair and maintenance of alarms inside a rented unit itself falls to the tenant under Va. Code § 55.1-1227. Owners must keep records of inspections, repairs and certificates for two years and make them available to the Chief of Roanoke Fire-EMS on request (§ 12-36). Section 12-37 exempts buildings from upgrading beyond the smoke alarm standard that applied at the time of their last permitted renovation. Anyone who violates the article, whether by failing to install, certify or maintain required alarms, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor under § 12-38.