Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 

Mon 26 Sep 2022

New legalisation is coming into force on October 1st, 2022, to install Carbon Monoxide Alarms if a gas appliance is present.

 

These changes will require carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in all rented accommodation where there is a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers. For example, if there is a gas boiler in the kitchen and a gas fire in the living room, both gas appliance would need a separate Carbon Monoxide Alarm which should be mounted on the wall beside the appliance.

 

By making carbon monoxide alarms a legal requirement, the Government are sending a strong message, that carbon monoxide is seriously harmful and will impose fines up to £5,000.00 for non-compliant landlords.

 

What is carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide can form when any carbon-based fuel is burnt. Typical sources include gas appliances, petrol engines, and solid fuel (e.g., fires and stoves). The NHS states that severe carbon monoxide poisoning causes around 60 accidental deaths in England and Wales every year. Exposure to carbon monoxide at sub-lethal levels causes common, non-specific symptoms, (e.g., headaches, nausea, dizziness), and therefore is thought to be under-reported.

 

If no carbon monoxide alarms are present, one will need to be fitted as soon as possible. 

 

Going forward, all landlords will have a duty to repair or replace alarms, once informed that they are faulty.

 

If you have any questions on the above, please don’t hesitate to contact the team at Spencer and Leigh.