Tex. Prop. Code Ann. §§ 92.001–92.355 § 92.255
INSTALLATION AND LOCATION.
Operative Text
Sec. 92.255. INSTALLATION AND LOCATION. (a) A landlord shall install at least one smoke alarm in each separate bedroom in a dwelling unit. In addition:(1) if the dwelling unit is designed to use a single room for dining, living, and sleeping, the smoke alarm must be located inside the room;(2) if multiple bedrooms are served by the same corridor, at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the corridor in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms; and(3) if the dwelling unit has multiple levels, at least one smoke alarm must be located on each level.(b) If a dwelling unit was occupied as a residence before September 1, 2011, or a certificate of occupancy was issued for the dwelling unit before that date, a smoke alarm installed in accordance with Subsection (a) may be powered by battery and is not required to be interconnected with other smoke alarms, except that a smoke alarm that is installed to replace a smoke alarm that was in place on the date the dwelling unit was first occupied as a residence must comply with residential building code standards that applied to the dwelling unit on that date or Section 92.252(b). Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 3650, ch. 576, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1984.Amended by: Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 257 (H.B. 1168), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2011.
Texas Property Code § 92.255 requires landlords to install at least one smoke alarm in every separate bedroom of a dwelling unit. Additional placement rules apply depending on the unit's layout: a single-room studio must have the alarm inside that room, shared corridors serving multiple bedrooms must have at least one alarm in the corridor near those bedrooms, and multi-level units must have at least one alarm on each level. For dwelling units first occupied or issued a certificate of occupancy before September 1, 2011, battery-powered alarms are permitted and interconnection with other alarms is generally not required, unless a replacement alarm is being installed in a position that was already equipped with one.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 92.255, compliant operators generally audit each dwelling unit's layout before occupancy to confirm that smoke alarms are present in every bedroom, in shared corridors near bedrooms, and on every floor of multi-level units. For older units first occupied or permitted before September 1, 2011, operators typically verify whether battery-only, non-interconnected alarms satisfy the applicable standard, while ensuring that any replacement alarm meets the building code standards that governed the unit when it was first occupied. Keeping dated installation and inspection records helps demonstrate ongoing compliance with the placement requirements set out in § 92.255.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 92.255 of the Texas Property Code gives tenants the right to expect properly placed smoke alarms in their bedrooms, in shared corridors, and on each level of a multi-story unit. If a smoke alarm appears to be missing or improperly located under the standards described in § 92.255, tenants can document the condition in writing and notify the landlord, since other provisions of Chapter 92 address remedies when landlords fail to install or repair required safety devices. Tenant-rights organizations and local legal aid offices can help renters understand what options may be available when a landlord does not meet the installation requirements of § 92.255.
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 28, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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