<p>“It basically says, if I’m not mistaken, that viviendas must have smoke detectors if the evacuation height is >50m, and buildings that are residencial público (which to me sounds like hotels, hostels, etc.) must have smoke detectors if the constructed floor area exceeds 500 sq m. An apartment building is probably classified as a vivienda.”</p>
<p>In the U.S., we tend to take such safety regulations pretty seriously, as we have an abundance of lawyers who will fry you if there is the slightest disregard for the letter of the law. This simply isn’t the case in most other countries, especially Spain. [The Italian sea captain in the news lately is a good example of safety in that part of the world, too.]</p>