Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Rules for California Rentals

Alarm and safety rules are the cheapest compliance items on a landlord's list and some of the most expensive to ignore, because a tenant can use them to claim the unit isn't habitable. Here's what a small landlord needs in place.

Smoke alarms

• In every bedroom.
• Outside each sleeping area, in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.
• On every level of the unit, including basements.

Test them when a tenant moves in and keep the manufacturer's replacement schedule. Many newer alarms are sealed 10-year units. Local fire codes can add requirements.

Carbon monoxide alarms

A CO alarm is required when the unit has a fossil-fuel appliance (such as a gas furnace, water heater or stove), a fireplace, or an attached garage. Place them as the manufacturer instructs, typically outside sleeping areas and on each level.

Other safety basics

• Water heater bracing. Water heaters need to be braced or strapped against earthquake movement.
• Security bars on windows. If installed, they need a quick-release mechanism that opens from inside without a key or tool.
• Pools. If the property has a pool, it needs a compliant safety barrier, such as fencing with a self-latching gate.

Make it provable

Note the alarm check on your move-in inspection and photograph it. If a dispute ever turns on habitability, a dated record that the alarms were present and tested is the easiest defense you can have. It also feeds the photo-documentation habit that California's deposit rules now expect (see our photo article).

This article is informational, not legal advice. Fire and building codes vary by city. For your specific situation, talk to a California landlord-tenant attorney or your local fire department.