Davenport Iowa Smoke Detectors Regulations
According to the National Fire Protection Association, there is at least one smoke detector in 96 percent of all U.S homes. The ubiquity of smoke detectors extends to Davenport, Iowa, where several laws ensure the widespread use of smoke detectors throughout the city.
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Definitions
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According to Chapter 100 Section 18 of Iowa State Code, a smoke detector is legally defined as "a device which detects visible or invisible particles of combustion and which incorporates control equipment and an alarm-sounding unit operated from a power supply either in the unit or obtained at the point of installation."
Title 661 Chapter 210 of the Iowa Administrative Code defines a "dual sensor" smoke detector as a "smoke detector which contains both an ionization sensor and a photoelectric sensor and which is designed to detect and trigger an alarm in response to smoke detected through either sensing device."
Buildings Requiring Smoke Detectors
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Iowa State Code also mandates the installation of smoke detectors in single family rental units and multiple-unit residential buildings, which can include apartment buildings, rented houses, motels and hotels or dormitories. Davenport expands these requirements to Mixed Occupancy dwellings, or buildings that have residential and non-residential portions and newly-manufactured mobile homes.
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Installation Locations
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Davenport's Municipal Code requires the placement of at least one of these mandated smoke detectors per floor in a centrally located common area or corridor that includes bedrooms. The smoke detector units may be placed on the ceiling or on a wall no less than 12 inches below the ceiling, and must either be connected to the building's power source or have its own internal battery system.
Installation Responsibilities
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The owner of a building is responsible for the installation of mandated smoke detectors while the occupant is required to replace the batteries of the smoke detector upon their failure. In cases where the owner and occupant are different people, testing can be done by either the owner or the occupant, but the owner is obligated to correct any reported deficiencies by the occupant.
Tenant Recourse
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If a landlord is negligent in his or her duties to install or maintain a smoke detector, the tenant can receive compensation from the landlord according to Iowa Code Chapter 562A, also known as the Residential Landlord and Tenant Law.
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