Both the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the State of California have enacted laws requiring the installation of smoke detectors in residential buildings. Within individual condominium units as well as in single- and two-family homes, simple battery-operated detectors satisfy the requirements of these laws.

• Where should you install a smoke detector?

You must install a smoke detector at a centrally located point in the corridor that gives access to each sleeping room. If your house has more than one story or a basement, a detector must be installed on each story and in the basement. If any level of your house, including the basement, is split into two or more levels, a detector must be installed on the upper level –– except if the lower level contains a sleeping area –– in which case a detector must be installed at each level. If you have sleeping rooms on an upper story, you must install a detector at the ceiling of the upper story close to the stairway. Required smoke detectors may be mounted on the ceiling or the wall, six to 12 inches below the ceiling.

• How do the City and state know if you are in compliance?

Compliance with smoke detector requirements is checked when you sell your home. The purchase contract must contain a notice concerning applicable smoke detector requirements, and you must also deliver a written statement to the buyer indicating that the dwelling is equipped with required operable smoke detectors to prove that it is in compliance with applicable laws. If you are buying a home, you should make sure that the smoke detector requirements have been satisfied.

Compliance is also checked when homeowners undertake any new construction, renovations or repairs exceeding $1,000 for which a permit is required.

Regardless of the legal requirements, you should install smoke detectors in your home simply because they are inexpensive and essential to saving lives. In the event of a fire, their early warning provides your single greatest assurance of escaping unharmed.