Avoid potential problems as a result of pending carbon monoxide safety legislation
UKALA has cautioned Landlords and letting agents to act now to avoid potential problems following the announcement that the government intends to pass legislation to extend the requirement to install carbon monoxide alarms in all rental properties in England with fixed combustion appliances.
Previously the requirement only applied to solid fuel appliances. Social housing will also be brought into scope for the first time, potentially putting further pressure on the supply chain.
Tim Clark, chairman of UKALA stated: “We welcome the new regulations, which will help to bring down carbon monoxide casualties and fatalities. However, there is a history of new legislation resulting in fairly chaotic rushes to comply. The number of properties affected has the potential to cause supply chain issues. We urge agents and landlords to act now to avoid the difficulty of having to source large numbers of alarms between the law being passed and coming into force.”
Around 20 people are killed each year in accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, and many more through house fires. The proposed regulation changes for England, which will be passed as soon as legislative time allows, will also require carbon monoxide alarms to be fitted when new appliances, such as gas boilers or fires are installed in any home. Additionally all landlords in social and private rented sectors will be required to repair or replace smoke and carbon monoxide alarms once reported as faulty.
More details are available on the UKALA website at https://www.ukala.org.uk/the-smoke-and-carbon-monoxide-consultation-ukala-comments-following-the-government-response/
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Member Since June 2014 - Comments: 325
12:17 PM, 28th January 2022, About 4 years ago
Disconcerting that this proposed legislation appears to only apply where new appliances fitted. Would expect all properties which have existing relevant appliances to have a CO Alarm as a matter of course, they being low cost items and easily fitted. In Scotland apart from being a legal requirement in the PRS for many years is a check point on the annual LGSR, and surprised that the same rules do not apply in England and Wales as Gas Safety was I thought national legislation.
Member Since August 2015 - Comments: 342
1:12 PM, 28th January 2022, About 4 years ago
As a landlord with HMO’s I have for a long time been obliged, under the conditions of my licences, to have a carbon monoxide detector by my boiler. I presume this new legislation will oblige further landlords and privately property owners having to comply. However I am a bit confused as to whether main wired detectors will be required or the battery ones I already have?
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 305
3:22 PM, 28th January 2022, About 4 years ago
I presume the same rules apply if you use the Rent A Room scheme?
Member Since December 2019 - Comments: 241
3:57 PM, 28th January 2022, About 4 years ago
Do you require one if the cooker uses gas?
Member Since August 2015 - Comments: 342
4:41 PM, 28th January 2022, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Chris Bradley at 28/01/2022 – 15:57
It does say ‘fixed combustion appliances’. That would include gas cookers. I got out of gas cookers a long time ago. They freaked me out and had to be checked every year.
Member Since December 2019 - Comments: 241
4:43 PM, 28th January 2022, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Yvonne Francis at 28/01/2022 – 16:41
I have a dual fuel cooker and it’s checked and certified every year at the same time as the boiler. There is a CO2 detector near the boiler, but the gas man in the past has said one wasn’t need for the cooker, so looks like I need one now
Member Since March 2020 - Comments: 189
1:36 PM, 29th January 2022, About 4 years ago
I am confused about this. I understood that all gas boilers had to have a carbon monoxide detector close by. When I get the annual gas safety check done my engineer always checks them and in the past when they have been faulty he has replaced them as a condition of passing the certificate. This is PRS. Appalling that council and social housing have had no obligation to do this up until now, and also holiday lets.
As for putting one by the gas cooker, no problem, they are cheap, but have to rely on the tenant keeping it there! It would need to be added to the prescribed information that it is their responsibility to check that one as well and inform me if it is faulty.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3544 - Articles: 5
9:43 AM, 31st January 2022, About 4 years ago
I put them in as standard where a boiler is fitted – battery not wired. Photos taken and put on inventory at start of tenancy that there is one in situ and it is checked every LL check. If it goes missing/ batteries dead – down to tenant to sort this out and they are formally reminded as such.
Agree appalling – this should be standard across ALL sectors end off. Same rules to apply to all.
Member Since December 2019 - Comments: 241
9:52 AM, 31st January 2022, About 4 years ago
In Wales the new law from July 22 requires the smoke alarms to be interlinked not battery.
Need to check to see if the co2 also needs to be interlinked in Wales?
Member Since June 2014 - Comments: 325
9:49 AM, 5th February 2022, About 4 years ago
In Scotland gas cooking appliances do not require a CO Alarm, which has a logic that typically “fired up” for a short period and no flue gas. And no requirement for them to be hard wired or interlinked.