Tenant, property owner plead guilty, facing fines for not maintaining smoke alarms

Failure to ensure smoke alarms were installed and properly maintained at a Currie Street home has netted a property owner and tenant fines and convictions for Ontario Fire Code offences.

In a Jan. 26 court appearance in Provincial Offences Court, the two defendants and prosecutor for the City of St. Catharines arrived at a resolution, on a joint-submission basis, that led to the property owner pleading guilty to a charge related to a failure to maintain a smoke alarm in operating condition, and the tenant plead guilty to two charges related to failing to notify the landlord once they became aware smoke alarms on two floors of the dwelling were disconnected and not operating. With the conviction the owner is facing a fine of $3,000 plus court costs, while the defendant is facing $4,000 in fines plus court costs.

“Regardless if you live in your own home or live in a rental unit you must have a working smoke alarms on every storey of your home or rental unit,” said Fire Chief Dave Upper. “Tenants also have an important responsibility, and must contact their landlord immediately if their smoke or carbon monoxide alarms are not working properly. Tampering with, failing to maintain, or not having a working smoke or carbon monoxide alarm is against the law.”

Ontario law requires working smoke alarms on every storey of a home and outside all sleeping areas. The law also requires working carbon monoxide alarms outside sleeping areas in units where a fuel-burning appliance is installed or shares a common wall or floor with a service room containing such an appliance or an attached garage.

Visit www.stcatharines.ca/Fire or call 905.688.5601, ext. 4224, for more information about fire safety, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, provincial requirements, and other home safety tips.