One in Seven Housing Companies in Pirkanmaa Have Not Checked Smoke Alarms

Fourteen percent of residents in apartment buildings, terraced houses and semi-detached homes said their housing company had not checked or replaced smoke detectors since responsibility shifted to property owners at the start of 2024. Lähitapiola’s Arjen katsaus survey, reported by Tamperelainen, found that 79 percent said their housing company had inspected or renewed alarms, while 7 percent were unsure.

Antti Määttänen, Lähitapiola Pirkanmaa’s head of claims, urged residents to notify their housing board about missing or faulty detectors and to alert the rescue authority, such as the on-call fire inspector, if a company fails to act. The insurer's advice echoes an earlier Lähitapiola warning about fire risks from rechargeable batteries.

The 2024 law change gave housing companies until 2025 to assume responsibility. Residents still must report dead batteries or defects.

The poll was conducted by research firm Verian, with 1,024 adults answering between 20 and 27 February. The smoke-detector question drew 587 eligible respondents living in apartment, terraced or semi-detached houses, and the overall margin of error is about 3.1 percentage points.