| Ontario Building Code Edition | 1975 | 1983 | 1986 | 1990 | 1997 | 2006 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke alarms must be audible in bedrooms when the door is closed | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Battery operated or hardwired smoke alarms permitted | Required | ||||||
| Smoke alarms installed on or near the ceiling and in accordance to manufacturer’s instructions | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Smoke alarms between bedrooms and the remainder of the home | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Smoke alarms on every storey of the home (including the basement) | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Smoke alarms shall be hardwired and interconnected if more than one alarm is required | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required | |
| Smoke alarms hardwired to the home’s power supply (must remain hardwired when replacing) | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required plus seven day battery backup | |
| Smoke alarms must be within 5 metres (15 feet) of any bedroom door | Required | Required | Required | ||||
| Smoke alarms in every sleeping room | Required | ||||||
| Smoke alarms must have a visual component (such as a strobe) with a temporal or voice/temporal sound pattern | Required |
- On March 1, 2006 the Ontario Fire Code required smoke alarms on every storey of every home resulting in the retrofit of all homes constructed prior to 2006, the additional smoke alarms are permitted to be battery operated
- Under the Ontario Fire Code it is the property owner's responsibility to ensure the required level of fire protection is being met & maintained at all times.
If you are a tenant, please contact your landlord for smoke alarms. Replace smoke alarms as directed by the manufacturer and change the batteries in battery-operated alarms twice per year. Test alarms monthly to make sure they are working properly.
