What the Scottish standard actually requires
The full rule, as set out by the Scottish Government in the guidance to the Housing (Scotland) Act, is:
- One smoke alarm in the room most frequently used for general daytime living (usually the lounge).
- One smoke alarm in every circulation space on each storey (hallways and landings).
- One heat alarm in every kitchen.
- All of the above interlinked — when one goes off, they all go off.
- A CO alarm in every room with a carbon-fuelled appliance (gas boiler, wood burner, oil boiler, gas fire). CO alarms don't have to interlink with the smokes, but we usually spec ones that do.
You have two options for the interlink: battery-linked (radio) or mains hardwired. Battery is cheaper, non-disruptive, and accepted by every local authority. Hardwired is required in some new-builds and warrant jobs.
Why we spec Aico
Aico are Shropshire-made, sealed-battery, 10-year rated, and — most importantly for STL and PRT compliance — they log every event. If a licensing officer asks 'was the alarm working on the date of the fire risk assessment?' we can show them the alarm's own event log. Cheaper own-brand kit from the big DIY sheds doesn't do this. When something goes wrong at 2am in a holiday let, you want kit the manufacturer will stand behind. That's Aico.
Smoke and heat alarms have a 10-year service life. Warranty cover is subject to the manufacturer’s terms.
The 10-year replacement clock
Sealed-battery lithium alarms have a fixed 10-year life. Not the battery — the whole unit. After 10 years the internal chemistry has degraded and the alarm can't be trusted to sound reliably. We put a sticker on every alarm with the install date and the replacement-by date, and we schedule a reminder in our system 3 months before yours are due.
