Indiana City Defends Smoke Detector Ordinance

Attorneys for the Indiana city of Bloomington defending an ordinance requiring hard-wired smoke detectors in rental properties say Indiana law allows local rules to be tougher than state regulations.

Bloomington property owners have sued to block a smoke-detector ordinance requiring rental property owners to install hard-wired smoke detectors by Dec. 31, 2018. They say it’s ineffective and unenforceable because state law allows for multiple types of smoke detectors, while the city requirement would limit landlords to one type.

The Herald-Times reports that city attorneys contend Indiana’s smoke-detector regulations allow city ordinances to be more stringent than state code.

Indiana law requires all smoke detectors to be battery-operated or hard-wired. The law allows for city regulations to be more stringent or detailed, but they cannot conflict with state code.