Rental CO Compliance Check

Carbon monoxide detector requirements for rental properties turn on the state, the property type and the age of the building, and we have read all 51 US jurisdictions rather than summarising the ones with a rental-specific statute. 40 reach rentals outright, 10 record that they do not, and 1 is not established either way. Inside the 40, what switches the duty on is not the same question as whether it exists: a fuel-burning appliance is named as a trigger in 37 records, an attached garage on its own in 31, and a sale or transfer of the property in 11. Where a state records no rental mandate, federal rules may still apply, and HUD-assisted housing had a deadline of its own.

This 2-minute check asks about your state, property type, fuel sources, and current detector setup. Based on your answers, it produces a compliance assessment, whether your rental's CO detector situation is likely compliant, may have gaps, or is unclear and worth investigating further.

The check is designed for both landlords and tenants. If you are a landlord, the results include a checklist of actions to verify compliance. If you are a tenant, the results explain what your landlord is typically responsible for and what steps you can take if detectors are missing or expired.

This is not legal advice. CO detector requirements are set by state and local codes, which can change. The results of this check reflect general patterns in state law as of early 2026, but your specific situation may be governed by a local ordinance, a lease clause, or a housing authority rule that differs from the state baseline. When in doubt, consult your local code enforcement office or a qualified attorney.

In 2 Minutes

• 40 of the 51 US jurisdictions reach rentals outright, 10 record that they do not, and 1 is not established either way. We read all 51 rather than counting the ones with a rental-specific statute.
• At the federal level, HUD-assisted housing had to meet the 2018 International Fire Code's CO alarm rules by 27 December 2022, under joint Notice PIH 2022-01. NSPIRE is how HUD inspects for it, not where the deadline came from.
• 44 of the 51 records put a duty on the landlord that reaches a carbon monoxide alarm, 35 of them through a provision naming the device and 9 through a habitability clause that does not, and 29 assign the tenant one as well. The nine matter: where the duty comes from general habitability law rather than a carbon monoxide section, there is no device named to point at, and the argument is about fitness for habitation instead.
• The model codes give no distance. IFC 2018 section 915.2.1 says "outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms", and NFPA 72 section 29.7.1.1 puts a number on it only in the standard itself: within 21 ft (6.4 m) of any bedroom door, measured along the path of travel. A 15-foot rule is Illinois state law, not the general one.
• "All-electric, so it does not apply" is the assumption that fails most often. A fuel-burning appliance is named as a trigger in 37 of the 51 records, so the intuition is usually right about the appliance and usually wrong about the building: 31 records name an attached garage as a trigger on its own, with no combustion needed anywhere in the structure. An all-electric unit over an attached garage is inside the requirement in those 31.
• The fine is not the number to plan around, and the range is far wider than the one usually quoted. Of the 51 US jurisdictions, 32 attach an explicit penalty provision to the carbon monoxide requirement, 17 record none and rely on general code enforcement, and 2 are not established. Where a dollar figure exists it runs from Pennsylvania's $50 summary offence to the District of Columbia's Class 1 infraction schedule, which prices a first offence at $2,000 and doubles it at every step to $16,000 for a fourth.
• Alaska prices the same violation by how you hold the property. AS 12.55.035(b)(7) caps it at $500 for a defendant who is not an organization; AS 12.55.035(c)(1)(D) sets $25,000 for one that is, and AS 11.81.900(b) defines an organization to include a corporation, company, association, firm or partnership. Nothing about the alarm changes. The name on the deed does.

What This Check Covers

• Whether your state has a CO detector requirement for rental properties.
• Whether your property type (single-family, apartment, Airbnb/STR, Section 8) triggers additional rules.
• Whether your fuel sources (gas furnace, water heater, stove, fireplace, attached garage) require CO detection.
• Whether the detectors you have are likely placed correctly and are current (not expired).
• Who is typically responsible, landlord or tenant, for installation, testing, and battery replacement.
• Whether federal HUD/NSPIRE rules apply to your property.
• What to do if your rental appears to have a compliance gap.

Start the Check

How to Interpret Your Result

This check produces one of four results:

• Likely Compliant: Your answers suggest your rental's CO detector setup is consistent with your state's general requirements. This result includes a maintenance checklist and a link to your state's specific law page.
• Likely Compliant, Verify Details: The basics appear to be in place, but one or more details (detector age, placement, or property type) may need a closer look. This result includes specific items to verify.
• Potential Gaps Identified: Your answers suggest one or more areas where your rental's CO detector setup may not meet your state's requirements. This result includes a prioritized action list.
• Requirements Unclear, Consult Local Code: Your state does not have a clear statewide CO detector mandate, or your situation involves factors this check cannot evaluate. This result recommends specific next steps.

Sources & References

1. National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Carbon Monoxide Detector Installation Statutes . State-by-state table of CO detector requirements. NCSL's own header says it is written for legislators and "may not be reflective of all requirements", so treat it as an index rather than as the law.
2. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Carbon Monoxide Fact Sheet . "On average, more than 200 people in the United States die every year from CO produced by non-automotive consumer products", the 1 to 70 / above 70 / 150 to 200 ppm bands, and the instruction to install an alarm meeting the current UL 2034 standard.
3. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Notice PIH 2022-01 / H 2022-01 / OLHCHH 2022-01: Carbon Monoxide Alarms or Detectors in HUD-Assisted Housing . Issued 31 January 2022. Requires compliance with the 2018 International Fire Code's CO alarm provisions by 27 December 2022, and says HUD will enforce after that date.
4. National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), HUD Will Enforce Carbon Monoxide Alarm/Detector Installation in HUD-Assisted Housing . Summary of federal enforcement.
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), About Carbon Monoxide Poisoning . More than 400 unintentional deaths a year, more than 100,000 emergency department visits, more than 14,000 hospitalizations.
6. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Carbon Monoxide's Impact on Indoor Air Quality . Detector guidance, health effects.
7. UL Solutions, Carbon Monoxide Alarm Considerations for Code Authorities . The UL 2034 listing category, the four-tone alarm pattern, and the model IRC rule in UL's own words: alarms "outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms". It names the IRC and NFPA 72 sections 17.12 and 29.7; it does not cover the IFC and it carries no state-adoption table.
8. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Carbon Monoxide Safety . NFPA's consumer guidance, which gives no distance: "a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home", interconnect them all, and follow the manufacturer for mounting height. The 21 ft figure is in the standard, not on this page.
9. California Legislative Information, Health and Safety Code section 17926, the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act (SB 183) . The statute itself. Subdivision (a) sets the retrofit deadlines and (b) ties number and placement to the building standards for new construction of that occupancy, or the manufacturer's instructions.
10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention: A Toolkit . CDC communications toolkit, 2011. Useful for the prevention messaging; its "approximately 450 deaths and 20,000 nonfatal injuries" is a 2011 figure and CDC now publishes more than 400 deaths and more than 100,000 emergency department visits.