Does your home have a smoke detector? If not you may want to buy yourself an early christmas gift to avoid a heavy price for your home. Community Safety Minister Monte Kwinter announced on Tuesday that before the end of this winter, smoke detectors will be mandatory for all Ontario homes.

Under the new law all Toronto homes must have smoke detectors installed on every level, including basements, by March 1st, 2006. If you sleep with your bedroom door closed an additional smoke detector must be installed there as well.

The age of your smoke detector will also come into play. Any smoke detector more than 10 years old will need to be replaced.