Each residential dwelling unit shall have operable smoke alarms as provided below:
(A) In dwellings constructed after the establishment of North Carolina State Building Code requirements for hard-wired automatic smoke detectors, such smoke detectors shall be installed in the numbers and locations as prescribed by the North Carolina State Building Code in effect at the time when such structures were constructed.
(B) In dwellings that were altered or modified such that installation or upgrade of automatic smoke detectors was required, such smoke detectors shall be installed in the numbers and locations as prescribed by the North Carolina State Building Code under such circumstances.
(C) In dwellings that were constructed prior to the establishment of North Carolina State Building Code requirements for hard-wired automatic smoke detectors, approved battery powered or 120-volt (plug-in type) approved automatic smoke detectors may be used to fulfill the requirement for operable smoke detectors in rental residential dwelling units. Such devices shall be installed in the numbers and locations as prescribed by the North Carolina State Building Code, as amended. This provision shall not be construed to affect requirements of the North Carolina State Building Code to upgrade or install automatic smoke detectors when altering or modifying existing buildings.
(Ord. passed 12-9-2003; Ord. 2014-03, passed 3-11-2014)