As part of this, it is recommended that the electrical installation in a tenanted council home is inspected and tested by a certified electrician at least every five years.

In addition to essential electrical safety testing, all homes in Scotland are now also required to have interlinked smoke and heat alarms. This law was introduced following the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017 and means that every home must now have:

• one smoke alarm in the living room or the room that is used most
• one smoke alarm in every hallway and landing
• one heat alarm in the kitchen

Having alarms interlinked means that if one alarm goes off, they all go off, and will be able to be heard wherever you are in your home.

As your landlord, we are responsible for meeting this standard and since 2019, we have been working to upgrade council homes with interlinked alarm systems, however we still need to gain access to around 1,800 council homes.

For both essential electrical testing and interlinked alarm systems, we are currently making contact with tenants who have not yet provided access, with the aim of identifying a suitable date and time to carry out the required work.

If this work has not yet been carried out in your home, it is very important that you allow us access for the
work to be done to ensure compliance.

More information on the law on fire alarms can be found on the Scottish Government website.