Performance requirement. (1) After October 30, 1992, each unit covered by this subpart must be equipped with at least one battery-operated or hard-wired smoke detector, or such greater number as may be required by state or local codes, in working condition, on each level of the unit. In units occupied by hearing-impaired residents, smoke detectors must be hard-wired.

After October 30, 1992, the public areas of all housing covered by this subpart must be equipped with a sufficient number, but not less than one for each area, of battery-operated or hard-wired smoke detectors to serve as adequate warning of fire. Public areas include, but are not limited to, laundry rooms, community rooms, day care centers, hallways, stairwells, and other common areas.

Acceptability criteria. (1) The smoke detector for each individual unit must be located, to the extent practicable, in a hallway adjacent to the bedroom or bedrooms. In units occupied by hearing-impaired residents, hard-wired smoke detectors must be connected to an alarm system designed for hearing-impaired persons and installed in the bedroom or bedrooms occupied by the hearing-impaired residents. Individual units that are jointly occupied by both hearing and hearing-impaired residents must be equipped with both audible and visual types of alarm devices.

If needed, battery-operated smoke detectors, except in units occupied by hearing-impaired residents, may be installed as a temporary measure where no detectors are present in a unit. Temporary battery-operated smoke detectors must be replaced with hard-wired electric smoke detectors in the normal course of a PHA's planned CIAP or CGP program to meet the required HUD Modernization Standards or state or local codes, whichever standard is stricter. Smoke detectors for units occupied by hearing-impaired residents must be installed in accordance with the acceptability criteria in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

Funding. PHAs shall use operating funds to provide battery-operated smoke detectors in units that do not have any smoke detector in place. If operating funds or reserves are insufficient to accomplish this, PHAs may apply for emergency CIAP funding. The PHAs may apply for CIAP or CGP funds to replace battery-operated smoke detectors with hard-wired smoke detectors in the normal course of a planned modernization program.