HI Dingo
The regulations for smoke detectors are that battery powered units are acceptable, but it is recomended that powered smoke alarmsare preferred.
It is not mandatory to install hardwired smoke alarms, but smoke alarms must be installed in a domestic residencs,
The fire audit your building had done, would not cover your lot UNLESS it was a multi story building that had a fire alarm board.
In the former case, its up to the lot owner to install and maintain smoke detectors.
In the latter case, its the OC responsibility to install and maintain smoke dete tors in each lot.
I think in this case the chairman has misintrpreted the fire audit, mistaking a recomendation for a must do
Just get a clarifcation from the fire audit company,
Robert