Cal. Civ. Code § 22-11-18-3
Hotels and motels; installation of smoke detectors
Operative Text
Sec. 3. (a) This section only applies to hotels and motels. (b) All hotels and motels must have functional smoke detectors. (c) Except as provided in subsection (f), a detector must be installed in all interior corridors adjacent to sleeping rooms and must be spaced no farther apart than thirty (30) feet on center, or more than fifteen (15) feet from any wall. (d) The detectors must be hard wired into a building's electrical system, except as provided in subsection (f). (e) The detectors must be wired in a manner that activates all the devices in a corridor when one (1) is activated, except as provided in subsection (f). (f) All single level dwellings, all seasonably occupied dwellings, and all hotels and motels with twelve (12) sleeping rooms or less (and containing no interior corridors) are exempt from the requirements of subsections (c), (d), and (e). In all such units: (1) a detector must be installed in each sleeping room; and (2) the detector may be battery operated. If a battery operated detector is installed, it must contain a tamper resistant cover to protect the batteries. The fire marshal shall adopt rules detailing the specifications for the tamper resistant cover. If a battery operated detector is not installed, the detector must be hard wired into a building's electrical system. As added by Acts 1982, P.L.141, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.237-1983, SEC.3; P.L.176-1991, SEC.3.
Indiana Code § 22-11-18-3 establishes smoke detector requirements specifically for hotels and motels in Indiana. Larger or multi-level properties with interior corridors must install hard-wired, interconnected smoke detectors spaced no more than 30 feet apart and no more than 15 feet from any wall. Smaller properties—those with 12 or fewer sleeping rooms and no interior corridors, as well as single-level and seasonally occupied dwellings—are exempt from the corridor and hard-wiring requirements, but must instead place a detector (which may be battery-operated with a tamper-resistant cover) in each sleeping room.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of hotels and motels subject to Ind. Code § 22-11-18-3 generally maintain functional smoke detectors throughout their properties in a configuration that matches the property's size and layout. For properties with interior corridors, compliant operators install hard-wired, interconnected detectors spaced within the 30-foot and 15-foot limits described in the statute. Operators of smaller properties—those with 12 or fewer sleeping rooms and no interior corridors—typically ensure each sleeping room has its own detector, and if battery-operated units are used, those detectors include a tamper-resistant battery cover meeting fire marshal specifications.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Guests and long-term occupants at Indiana hotels and motels are protected by the smoke detector standards set out in Ind. Code § 22-11-18-3, which requires functional detectors appropriate to the property's size and configuration. If a guest or occupant believes detectors are missing, non-functional, or improperly installed, concerns can generally be reported to local fire authorities or the Indiana State Fire Marshal, who has rulemaking authority under this provision. Tenant-rights organizations or legal aid services can help individuals understand what remedies or complaint processes may be available in a given situation.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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