Renter Deaths Prompt New Rules on Carbon Monoxide Detectors

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After six people died from carbon monoxide poisoning this winter, Colorado has passed tough legislative concerning carbon monoxide detectors in rentals. The homes where the deaths occurred did not have detectors.

The new law spells out the responsibilities of both landlords and tenants regarding the proper maintenance of the detection units, right down to the batteries. Landlords in Colorado are required to inspect the units before a new tenant moves in to make sure the last tenant didn’t steal them, and that all are in working condition.

The law applies to any unit with fuel-fired appliances, or an attached garage.

A limitation of liability is also included in the Colorado law preventing lawsuits against rental owners for manufacturing defects, and it also prohibits any person from removing the batteries of a detection unit except to replace them.

Many states have enacted similar statutes in the past five years in response to deaths in residences, including rentals. Local governments may also enact these types of regulations, so check with an attorney familiar with the laws in your area if you need to determine whether you are in compliance.

See our feature, Security Camera Technology: New Break-Through’s To Keep Your Tenants Safe.

Let us know what you think by commenting below. For questions about our blog, contact our editor at kim@joinaaoa.org.

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Tags: landlord+tenant+laws, landlords, apartment+owners, security+cameras, tenant+background+checks

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Posted on Monday, April 6th, 2009 at 11:56 am and is filed under AAOA Forum. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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4 Responses to “Renter Deaths Prompt New Rules on Carbon Monoxide Detectors”

shannon irwin says:

April 8, 2009 at 5:57 am

I know in my experiance with working with HUD (government housing) and with Rural Development that it has always been that if there was natrual gas in the apartment, home, trailor, etc. It was required that there be a carbon monoxide detector in that rental. I am surprised that some states do not require this item and it has always to my opinion a great idea to keep those loved ones safe
Landlord Quick Tip | AAOA - American Apartment Owners Association says:

June 29, 2009 at 11:26 am

[...] It’s What You Don’t See That Hurts You Last spring we ran a blog concerning a tenant’s death from carbon monoxide. That death prompted a new law in Colorado requiring that [...]