How is responsibility allocated?
Responsibilities for the Board:
- Prevent fire by ensuring that systematic fire protection(SBA)is complied with. Here you can appoint a fire protection officer who coordinates the fire protection in the property.
- Supervision of the property’s fire protection equipment, keep track of the fire technical installations available, and carry out annual inspections.
- Working smoke detectors both in common areas such as laundry room, stairwells, overnight rooms, attics, basement storage and garbage room.
- A recommendation is that the board make a joint purchase of smoke detectors for all apartments and make sure that the correct installation is carried out, for everyone’s safety.
Responsibilities of resident:
Fire protection measures:
- Working smoke detectors both in apartment and private storage room.
- Do not store combustible material in escape routes.
- Explosive and flammable goods must be stored in the specified manner and in specified quantities.
- Know how you can perform ́hot work ́ such as welding, etc. and rules for grilling on a balcony.
In the case of subletting, it is the responsibility of the condominium holders to ensure that the required fire protection measures are met.
To follow the rules that exist for fire protection in the association’s common space and meeting rooms.
Suggested control procedures:
- Check that escape routes are not blocked, that they are free of combustible material and are marked with signs.
- If it starts to burn; Save-Alert-Notify 112-Extinguish!
- Collection point in case of evacuation. Recommendation to conduct periodic fire drills.
- The existence of hand fire extinguishers in stairwells, laundry rooms and attic
- Fire cell boundaries, make sure that all doors/portals are equipped with working door closers and close tightly. Penetrations in the fire cell boundary ex tubes are sealed with approved sealing material.
- Fire gas ventilation, check that smoke hatches open, exhaust fans start, supply air fans start/open and that control and control functions are working properly.
For more detailed information please visit and read at the following link.
Some of this information is taken from the link above from msb -Authority for Community Protection and Preparedness on “Fire safety in apartment buildings”.
References to law and general advice:
In the Act on Protection against Accidents SFS 2003:778, according to Chapter 2. 2§ it states that ‘owners or right-holders of buildings or other establishments shall, to a reasonable extent, keep fire extinguishing and life-saving equipment in the event of fire or other accident and otherwise take the necessary measures to prevent fire and to prevent or limit damage caused by fire.’
In the General Council of the Swedish National Rescue Service and comments on smoke detectors in housing SRVFS 2007:1 where it is informed that general advice has a different legal status than the regulations have. General advice is not mandatory, but the purpose is to explain and clarify the meaning of the law and make recommendations on application. In the Act SFS 2003:778, according to Chapter 2. 2§ one reads that;
‘ Any building intended to be used as a permanent or temporary dwelling should be provided with a sufficient number of permanently installed and functioning smoke detectors or equivalent early warning devices in the event of fire.
Examples of buildings temporarily used for residential purposes are holiday homes, overnight rooms or similar spaces.
The relationship of responsibility between the owner and the right-to-use right can be appropriately clarified in rental contracts or any other form of contract between the parties (usually property owner and tenant). Unless otherwise agreed, the owner should be responsible for the installation of smoke detectors and the right of use.”
This means that; it is the members of the board of the tenant-owner association who represent the association’s property and have the overall responsibility for ensuring that the systematic fire protection work (SBA) is complied with.
In the Swedish Rescue Agency’s General Council (2004:3) you can read more about this, in short you must have the fire protection in order, both technically and organizationally. It says that
“The responsibility for fire protection lies both with the owner of the building, i.e. the property owner or the housing association, and on those who use the building, such as the tenants. The law does not express how responsibility for fire protection should be divided between the owner of the property and the residents, but normally the owner is responsible for actions related to the building and its fixed accessories while the tenant is responsible for the apartment’s responsible use. The initiative to find out who is responsible for the different parts of fire protection is appropriately taken by the owner.”
It is advisable for the owner (the property owner or the housing association) to control different areas of responsibility within the property’s fire protection.
Further excerpts from SRVFS 2007:1 The Swedish Rescue Service’s general advice and comments about smoke detectors in homes.
“In each residential apartment there should be at least one working smoke detector on each floor. The smoke detector should be placed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and in such a way that a fire can be detected early. The smoke detector should be positioned so that sleeping persons can be woken by the alarm signal.”
Max 60 m² per smoke detector and not more than 12 m between two smoke detectors.
Smoke detectors shall be made in accordance with standard SS-EN 14604.
“The smoke detector should be checked regularly and when the dwelling has not been used for a long time. There should be routines to regularly check and change batteries according to manufacturers’ instructions.”