Following the recent fire in the Brussels municipality of Ganshoren in which an entire apartment building was evacuated and four people were taken to hospital, smoke detectors will become mandatory across the Brussels-Capital Region.
Brussels MP for the Dutch-speaking socialist one.brussels-Vooruit party Fouad Ahidar asked the State Secretary for Housing Nawal Ben Hamou about the obligation of smoke detectors. In her answer, Ben Hamou confirmed that work is currently being done to make smoke detectors mandatory in all Brussels homes from 2025.
"The recent fire in Ganshoren tragically demonstrated that there is still a gap in the requirement for smoke alarms. It is unacceptable that such a large number of homes are not equipped with these life-saving devices," said Ahidar. "We must take action to address this problem and ensure that all residents of the Brussels Region are protected from the dangers of fire."
In Brussels, the autonomous smoke detector is currently only mandatory for rented homes, which means that 40% of homes fall outside that current legal framework.
Safety is paramount
Now, the government is working on a decision to make smoke detectors mandatory in all homes in Brussels, meaning the new regulations will not only apply to landlords, but to all owners – who will be required to install a fire detection system, confirmed Ben Hamou.
Additionally, there will be more clarity about the correct placement of smoke detectors and a general information campaign. Both these obligations already exist in Flanders and Wallonia.
"I am glad that steps are being taken to amend the legal framework and require all owners to install smoke detectors. It is paramount that we ensure the safety of all residents and prevent fires as much as possible," Ahidar said.
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Ben Hamou's office expects the final decision to be approved by the Regional Government soon, after which further steps can be taken to bring the new regulations into force as soon as possible.
"This is good news for the safety of Brussels residents and their homes. I will continue to monitor in parliament that the new rules are also effectively implemented in practice," Ahidar said. "Only in this way can we ensure that all homes in Brussels will soon have properly functioning smoke detectors."
