Updated October 3, 2026 · DF Property Management
The landlord is the "owner"
The Ontario Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07, under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997) puts responsibility for its requirements on the "owner". For smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in rental units, it says plainly that the landlord is the owner. Tenants have duties too, but if an alarm doesn't work, the landlord is the one charged.
Smoke alarms
Every home in Ontario needs working smoke alarms on every storey and outside all sleeping areas. Homes built or created under newer Building Codes need more: alarms inside every bedroom, and alarms interconnected so one sounds them all. That is standard for legal second units.
Alarms must be replaced at the end of the service life shown in the manufacturer's instructions — generally ten years for smoke alarms. Replace them sooner if they fail a test, are damaged or painted, are coated in grease or dust, or give frequent false alarms not caused by cooking or steam.
Carbon monoxide alarms
Since 2014, CO alarms have been required in homes with a fuel-burning appliance (gas furnace, water heater, stove or dryer), a fireplace or an attached garage. In a house, they go next to each sleeping area.
In multi-unit buildings, the requirements depend on where the risk is. CO alarms go in suites with a fuel-burning appliance, in suites that share a wall, floor or ceiling with a service room containing one, and in suites next to a storage garage. A CO alarm is also required in the service room itself. CO alarms usually last seven to ten years.
When you must test
The Fire Code requires landlords to test smoke and CO alarms:
- Annually — at least once a year, in every unit.
- At every change of tenancy — before the new tenant moves in.
- After a new battery — in battery-operated alarms.
- After electrical work — on hard-wired alarms, to confirm the circuit wasn't left disconnected.
Test with the test button or the manufacturer's method, check that interconnected alarms all sound together, make sure each alarm is secure and unobstructed, and replace batteries as the manufacturer recommends. To enter a unit for the annual test, give the tenant at least 24 hours' written notice under the Residential Tenancies Act, for entry between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
The records
The Fire Code requires a written record of each alarm test, showing what was done and the date and time. Records of required tests and inspections must be kept for at least two years.
A good record notes, for each unit: the date and time, who tested, each alarm's location, its type (smoke, CO, combination), its power source, the result, any battery or unit replacement, and the alarm's manufacture date. Photos help. If there's ever a fire, this log is the evidence that you did your job.
What tenants must receive
The landlord must give each rental unit a copy of the alarm manufacturer's maintenance instructions, or approved alternative instructions. Keep proof you did — a signed acknowledgment at move-in is easiest. The Office of the Fire Marshal publishes a sample tenant information sheet.
Tenants must tell the landlord when an alarm is disconnected, not working or chirping, and no one may disable a smoke or CO alarm. A tenant who removes a battery commits an offence too, but that won't protect a landlord who never tested.
Apartment buildings: fire safety plans and systems
Larger buildings carry a bigger set of duties under Section 2.8 and Part 6 of the Fire Code.
Fire safety plan
Most multi-residential buildings — including residential buildings above the Fire Code's occupant-load threshold and buildings with fire alarm systems — must have a fire safety plan approved by the local fire service. In Toronto, plans go to Toronto Fire Services. The plan sets out emergency procedures, who the supervisory staff are and what they do, how the building's fire protection systems are maintained, and where the fire department will find key information.
Supervisory staff and drills
The owner appoints and trains supervisory staff to carry out the plan. In many residential buildings that's the superintendent and property management team. Fire drills are held for supervisory staff at the intervals the Fire Code sets — at least once a year in most residential buildings.
Fire protection systems
- Fire alarm systems — regular checks and an annual inspection by a qualified technician.
- Emergency lighting and exit signs — periodic testing.
- Portable extinguishers — monthly checks and annual maintenance.
- Sprinklers and standpipes — inspection and testing as required by the referenced standards.
- Doors in fire separations — closers and latches must work. Propped-open stairwell doors are among the most common orders.
Older buildings
Part 9 of the Fire Code sets retrofit standards for older buildings that predate today's Building Code. These include two-unit houses (Section 9.8) and boarding, lodging and rooming houses. If you own a 1960s walk-up or an older house converted to two units, find out which retrofit section applies.
Inspections and enforcement
Fire services inspect on complaint, after fires, and on their own programs. Toronto Fire Services inspects every residential high-rise at least once a year. In Toronto, Fire Code violations must also go on the RentSafeTO tenant notification board in covered buildings.
Minor violations can be ticketed on the spot. On conviction for a Fire Code offence, an individual faces a fine of up to $50,000 and up to a year in prison, and a corporation up to $100,000. Directors and officers who knowingly concur can also be charged.
A landlord's fire safety routine
- Move-in: test every alarm, record it, hand over the instructions, get a signature.
- Annually: test every alarm in every unit; review replacement dates.
- After any electrical work: retest hard-wired alarms.
- Monthly (larger buildings): common-area checks — extinguishers, exit signs, fire doors, clear exits.
- Every year (larger buildings): fire alarm inspection, supervisory staff drill, fire safety plan review.
How we help
We test alarms at every turnover and annually, log every test with photos, and keep the records for you. In apartment buildings we coordinate the fire alarm, sprinkler and extinguisher contractors and keep the fire safety plan current. Our inspections, compliance service and multi-unit management cover everything from a two-unit house to a full building.
General information, not legal advice. Fire Code requirements depend on the building's age, size and occupancy; confirm the specific requirements for your property with your local fire service.