Real Estate Report:
As of January 1, 2018, there are new residential smoke alarm requirements in the state of Maryland, as per a bill passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2013. Maryland REALTORS® has provided information to help its members understand the new smoke alarm requirements. (An infographic of this topic can be viewed at Maryland REALTORS® website at mdrealtors.org.)
In many ways, the law is simpler now—as of January 1, 2018, Maryland law is as follows:
- No alarm (battery powered or hard wired) may be older than 10 years from the date of manufacture.
- 9-Volt battery alarms are no longer permitted
- AC powered alarms less than 10 years old are still acceptable.
- One alarm must be located on each level of the swelling, including the basement.
- One alarm must be located outside each “sleeping area”.
- For homes built or renovated after January 1, 2013, one alarm must be placed in each “sleeping room”.
- Additional alarms required as of January 1, 2018 (such as in a basement) may be batter-operated if they are sealed, long life battery smoke alarms with a silence/hush button feature.
The type of smoke alarm required in a dwelling depends on the age of the property. Here is a summary:
- Built before 7/1//75: Alarm may be battery operated or AC
- Built between 7/1/75 to 1/1/89: AC alarm is required.
- Built between 1/1/89 and 7/1/90: Alarms must be AC and interconnected to alarm simultaneously.
- Built between 7/1/90 and 7/1/13: Alarms must be AC with a battery backup.
- Built or renovated after 7/1/13: Alarms must be AC with a battery backup AND configured to sound simultaneously.
As the new law relates to real estate transactions, a seller who fails to comply with the law is subject to a fine, imprisonment or both. A listing agent representing a seller who is in violation of the law must disclose to prospective buyer that the seller is not in compliance, and a buyer’s agent who is aware that the seller is not in compliance with the law, must disclose this fact to his/her client.
Lauren Bunting is a licensed Associate Broker with Bunting Realty, Inc. in Berlin, MD.
Lauren Bunting is a Broker with Keller Williams Realty of Delmarva in Ocean City, Maryland.
