Government funded carbon monoxide detectors?
I know this has been a popular subject over the last few months however, now the October deadline is looming I wonder if other landlords would share their experiences of sourcing these alarms.
After reading that the government was funding local fire authorities to provide private landlords with alarms I contacted my council who sent me a form to fill in with dates and times of local collection points at a local fire station.
My husband went along this morning to collect our ‘government funded free alarms’ for our nine properties (only c02 alarms as we have mains smoke alarms already installed). He was then told that they would only supply free alarms to properties that have open fires or log burners!
Now we are totally confused as I thought the alarms had to be placed in any rooms that housed a boiler or gas appliance.
Please could someone confirm this to me and if we do have to fund the purchase of these alarms, does anyone have any idea where we can get them at a reasonable price as they all seem to be over £20 each.
Thanks for any comments
Ashleigh
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Member Since September 2015 - Comments: 27
11:13 AM, 26th September 2015, About 11 years ago
I would have thought after the fairly recent horror stories of holiday accommodation deaths on the continent that any respectable landlord would have these installed by now. For under £20 for a combination smoke and CO detector and (currently at least) tax deductible surely EVEN before it becomes a legal requirement, there is a moral obligation to your tenants?
Waiting for the fire brigade to offer free services… wait until there’s a fire or even worse a death and we’ll see how free their services are!
just my 2p worth
Steve B
Member Since September 2013 - Comments: 62
12:11 PM, 26th September 2015, About 11 years ago
Hi Steve, whilst I agree the sentiment, if you read my previous comment you will note that the current “xxxx up” legislation covers only smoke and solid fuels. The incidents to which you refer involved gas which this legislation has failed to cover as gas is not a solid fuel.
Best regards, Mike
Comments: 85
12:48 PM, 26th September 2015, About 11 years ago
Member Since September 2015 - Comments: 27
1:14 PM, 26th September 2015, About 11 years ago
Reply to the comment left by “Mike McDonagh” at “26/09/2015 – 12:11“:
Mike, yes I agree entirely with you… I was really responding to the fact that some of us seem to think we need to wait for legislation before we do anything AND then when we do comply we want it free or subsidised. It’s no wonder that ‘all landlords’ seem to get tarred with with same (wrong) brush.
We KNOW the legislators are seemingly incompetent in most matters they legislate on, I think the human, moral aspect is what’s at risk of being lost if we wait for EVERYTHING to be down to such legislation.
My simple rule of thumb is ‘would I live in that house?’ If not why not!
Member Since September 2013 - Comments: 62
6:31 PM, 26th September 2015, About 11 years ago
Hi Steve, I agree with all of that.
We fit and regularly test smoke detectors and heat detectors in all of our properties and CO detectors in all properties which have a flame device of any sort. IMHO fire is the number one hazard because of frequency and CO close behind as it can go completely undetected. So what a shame legislation is missing out oil and gas burning appliances and boilers. If they are going to legislate, make it fit for purpose.
Best regards, Mike