Cal. Civ. Code § 26C
Certain public accommodations; automatic smoke or heat detectors
Operative Text
Section 26C. Apartment houses containing six or more dwelling units, hotels, boarding or lodging houses, or family hotels which are not regulated by section twenty-six A or twenty-six B shall be equipped with automatic smoke or heat detectors as provided by the rules and regulations of the board of fire prevention regulations. The head of the fire department as defined in section one shall enforce the provisions of this section.
Mass. Gen. Laws c. 148 § 26C requires that apartment buildings with six or more units, hotels, boarding houses, lodging houses, and family hotels — those not already covered by sections 26A or 26B — be equipped with automatic smoke or heat detectors. The specific technical standards for these detectors are set by the board of fire prevention regulations rather than by the statute itself. Enforcement of this provision falls to the head of the local fire department, as that role is defined in section one of the same chapter.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of the property types covered by Mass. Gen. Laws c. 148 § 26C — including apartment buildings of six or more units and various lodging establishments not governed by sections 26A or 26B — generally ensure that automatic smoke or heat detectors are installed and maintained in accordance with the board of fire prevention regulations' current rules. Compliant operators typically stay current with any updates to those rules, since the technical requirements are set administratively rather than fixed in the statute. Because enforcement authority rests with the local fire department head, routine fire inspections are a common mechanism through which compliance is verified.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Residents of apartment buildings with six or more units, hotels, boarding houses, and similar lodging establishments have an interest in knowing that Mass. Gen. Laws c. 148 § 26C entitles them to live in a building equipped with automatic smoke or heat detectors meeting state fire prevention standards. If detectors appear to be absent or non-functional, tenants can contact the local fire department, which holds enforcement authority under this provision. Tenant-rights organizations and local housing agencies can also help residents understand what options may be available, such as filing a complaint or raising a violation in a relevant proceeding.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.