Installation to DIN 14676
Selection of the areas to be protected, number and placement per room — bedrooms, children’s rooms and hallways that serve as escape routes. Installation is recorded for each flat.
Service
Smoke alarms: install, inspect, prove
Smoke alarms are mandatory in all German federal states. What matters is not the installation but the proof: anyone who cannot show, in the event of damage, that the devices were in working order is in a weak position. MEVIO installs to the German standard DIN 14676, inspects annually and documents every inspection per device and room.
What the service includes
One process together with meter reading: where consumption metering is read remotely anyway, the smoke alarm inspection can be done at the same time.
Annual inspection
Checking of function, smoke entry openings, surroundings and power supply at intervals of twelve months. The standard allows a window of plus or minus three months.
Remote inspection without an appointment in the flat
Devices that support remote inspection report their own status. The annual appointment in the flat is no longer needed — just as with meter reading.
Documentation
Every installation, inspection and fault is recorded with date, device and room. The property manager receives a report for each property that meets the obligation to provide proof.
Replacement after ten years
Smoke alarms are replaced no later than ten years after being put into service. We monitor the deadlines for each device and arrange the replacement before it is due.
Faults and false alarms
Reported false alarms and removed or damaged devices are followed up and remedied — documented so that the property manager meets its duty of care.
Buy or rent? What counts economically for owners
When it comes to passing costs on to tenants, the same applies to both models: neither the purchase nor the rental of the devices counts as operating costs — in 2022 the Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof, BGH), Germany’s highest court for civil matters, ruled that rental costs economically take the place of purchase costs. In both cases, what can be passed on is maintenance, i.e. the annual check that the alarms are in working order.
The difference therefore lies in cost and commitment: rent is payable every year over the entire service life, whereas the purchase price is paid only once. With rental packages, maintenance is also often included in the flat-rate price — in that case only a separately shown maintenance share can be passed on.
The argument for renting is convenience: defective devices are replaced under the contract at no extra cost, and replacement after ten years is planned in. However, the legal obligation to install remains with the owner even for rented devices.
As a rule, we recommend buying with a separate maintenance contract — this costs more once and usually less over the term. We are happy to calculate both options for your property.
No tie to a single provider
If the devices belong to the owners’ association, the maintenance contract can be terminated freely. With rented devices, the two are linked — and terms of ten years are common.
It is the same dependency that owners’ associations have been dealing with for years in the case of heat cost allocators. We believe it can be avoided here just as well.
One less appointment in the flat
If the devices support remote inspection, they check their own status and report it. Smoke entry, soiling, battery status and removal are detected without anyone having to ring the doorbell. Together with remote reading of the metering devices, this removes the last regular appointment in the flat — the most common reason for complaints and for repeat visits when nobody is at home.
Frequently asked questions
Smoke alarms — quick answers
Who is responsible for installation and maintenance?
Installation is the owner’s responsibility; this follows from the building codes of the German federal states (Landesbauordnungen). Who has to ensure that the alarms are in working order is regulated differently from state to state — in Bavaria, this generally lies with the direct occupant, i.e. the resident, unless the owner takes it on. In practice, the owners’ association usually takes over maintenance by resolution, because this is the only way to keep proof consistently.
Can a WEG (Wohnungseigentümergemeinschaft, owners’ association) decide on uniform installation and maintenance?
Yes. The Federal Court of Justice has ruled that an association can resolve on uniform installation and uniform maintenance — even for flats that the owner has already equipped. The uniform solution serves the purpose of proof and is therefore covered by the association’s discretion.
Can the costs be passed on to tenants?
A distinction must be made here. The costs of regular maintenance and inspection can be passed on as other operating costs. The costs of purchasing the devices cannot — and in 2022 the Federal Court of Justice also ruled that the costs of renting smoke alarms cannot be passed on, because rental costs economically take the place of purchase costs.
Why do you recommend buying rather than renting?
Both are possible. In either case the owner bears the purchase or rental costs — only maintenance can be passed on. However, rent is payable again every year, whereas the purchase price is paid only once. Rental models offer convenience when defective devices are replaced, but usually tie you to one provider for long terms. We are happy to calculate both options for your property.
How often do the devices have to be inspected?
Once a year, at intervals of twelve months with a permitted window of plus or minus three months. If the devices support remote inspection, the check is carried out remotely and no access to the flat is needed.
The obligations under the state building codes differ from one federal state to another. The information on this page is for guidance only and does not replace legal advice in individual cases.
A quote for your property
Tell us the number of residential units and, if you have one, your existing maintenance contract. You will receive a quote for equipment and maintenance, shown separately.