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Landlord glossarySafety

CO Alarm (Carbon Monoxide Alarm)

A carbon monoxide alarm is required in every room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, other than a gas cooker, in private rented homes in England. The landlord must make sure each alarm works on the day a tenancy starts and repair or replace an alarm once told it is faulty. These duties date from 1 October 2022. A council can impose a penalty of up to £5,000 if a remedial notice is not complied with.

Reviewed by Erdem VolkanLast reviewed 16 September 2026How we check facts

In force
1 October 2022
Where
Rooms with a fixed combustion appliance, except gas cookers
When
Working on the first day of each tenancy, and repaired once reported
Max penalty
£5,000

Why it matters

What CO Alarm (Carbon Monoxide Alarm) means for a landlord

The October 2022 change widened the rule from solid fuel appliances to every fixed combustion appliance except gas cookers, which caught landlords with gas boilers in living rooms, oil boilers and gas fires. If a council believes an alarm is missing or faulty it serves a remedial notice, and the landlord has 28 days to act; a penalty of up to £5,000 follows if they do not. A dated photo of each alarm at check-in, plus a record of every fault report and repair, is the cleanest evidence.

Worked example

How it plays out

Aisha lets a cottage in Cumbria with an oil boiler in the kitchen and a wood burner in the lounge. Before October 2022 only the lounge needed a carbon monoxide alarm, because the rule covered solid fuel. Now the kitchen needs one too. On the first day of the new tenancy she tests both alarms, photographs them and notes them on the inventory. When the tenant reports that one keeps chirping, she replaces it within a few days and logs the visit.
An illustrative example. Names, places and figures are made up.

Common mistakes

Where landlords go wrong

  1. 01Assuming only solid fuel appliances need an alarm, when any fixed combustion appliance except a gas cooker counts.
  2. 02Testing alarms at check-in without recording it.
  3. 03Waiting for a routine visit to replace an alarm the tenant has reported as faulty.
  4. 04Ignoring a council remedial notice, which can lead to a penalty of up to £5,000.

What to do

A short checklist

  • Walk through each property and list every room with a fixed combustion appliance.
  • Fit a carbon monoxide alarm in each of those rooms, and check every storey has a smoke alarm.
  • Test and photograph every alarm on the first day of each tenancy.
  • Log fault reports and fix them promptly.

Sources

Checked against these sources on 16 September 2026. A guide to the rules in England, not legal advice: for a dispute or a possession claim, speak to a solicitor.

All glossary termsRenters’ Rights Act 2025UK regulationsLandlord guides