From October 1, private rented homes and social housing come under an amendment to the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015.
Landlords are now required that there be a carbon monoxide alarm in every room housing a tenant if it contains anything that burns fuel to generate heat.
Everything that might burn gas, oil, coal or wood – including gas and oil boilers and log-burning stoves – are covered under the amendment, although this doesn’t extend to gas cookers.
Landlords are also required to ensure that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are repaired or replaced as soon as they are described as faulty. Regular testing remains a tenant’s responsibility
How do you prove compliance? Simple: Keep a record of the alarm you have bought and make sure they are noted in any start of a tenancy inventory.
