Landlords in England must fit a carbon monoxide alarm in every room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers, and repair or replace faulty alarms once told, under rules in force since 1 October 2022. Councils can fine landlords up to £5,000 per breach.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED 22 July 2026
- Since 1 October 2022, the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 require carbon monoxide alarms in rented homes in England, in both the private and social sectors.
- An alarm is required in any room used as living accommodation containing a fixed combustion appliance, such as a gas boiler, gas fire or log burner; gas cookers are the one exception.
- Landlords must repair or replace an alarm as soon as reasonably practicable once a tenant reports it faulty; local authorities can impose penalties of up to £5,000 for non-compliance.
- Smoke alarms are required on every storey with living accommodation under the same regulations, checked as working at the start of each new tenancy.
- Carbon monoxide has no smell, taste or colour; early symptoms, including headache, dizziness and nausea, are easily mistaken for other illness, which is why an alarm rather than vigilance is the protection that works.
- Owner-occupiers are not covered by the landlord rules but building regulations require CO alarms when new or replacement solid fuel appliances are installed, and fitting alarms is strongly advised in any home with combustion appliances.
Carbon monoxide alarm requirements in rented homes in England
| Private rented home, room with gas boiler | CO alarm required | Regulations 2022, in force 1 October 2022 |
| Social rented home | CO alarm required | 2022 amendment extended the rules to social housing |
| Room with gas cooker only | Not required | Gas cookers are the exception, though an alarm is still advisable |
| Room with log burner or solid fuel stove | CO alarm required | Applies to any fixed combustion appliance in living accommodation |
| Alarm reported faulty by tenant | Landlord must repair or replace | As soon as reasonably practicable |
| Non-compliance | Up to £5,000 penalty | Imposed by the local authority per breach of a remedial notice |
Source: SI 2022/707 and GOV.UK guidance for landlords, accessed July 2026
KEY FACTS
- Legal basis: the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/707), amending the 2015 regulations, in force in England from 1 October 2022
- Where alarms are required: every room used as living accommodation with a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers
- Repair duty: landlords must fix or replace reported faulty alarms as soon as reasonably practicable
- Penalty: local authorities can fine landlords up to £5,000 per breach of a remedial notice
- Alarms should meet British Standard EN 50291 and be positioned at head height, 1 to 3 metres from the appliance
What are the carbon monoxide alarm rules for rented homes
Since 1 October 2022, landlords in England must provide a carbon monoxide alarm in every room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers, in both private and social rented homes.
The requirement comes from the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, which amended the 2015 regulations in three ways: carbon monoxide alarms became mandatory wherever there is a fixed combustion appliance rather than only solid fuel appliances, the rules were extended from the private rented sector to social housing, and landlords were placed under an explicit duty to repair or replace alarms once told they are faulty. A fixed combustion appliance means anything that burns fuel and is installed in the property: gas boilers, gas fires, oil boilers, log burners and solid fuel stoves all count, wherever they sit in a room used as living accommodation, which includes bathrooms and, in practice, most rooms tenants occupy. The single carve-out is the gas cooker. Smoke alarms sit alongside in the same regulations: at least one on every storey with living accommodation, and landlords must check both smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working on the day a new tenancy begins, after which testing during the tenancy is the tenant's responsibility.
What happens if a landlord does not comply
The local authority serves a remedial notice requiring the alarms within 28 days, arranges the work itself if the landlord fails, and can impose a financial penalty of up to £5,000 for each breach.
Enforcement runs through the local housing authority. Where a council has reasonable grounds to believe a landlord is in breach, it must serve a remedial notice requiring the alarms to be installed or repaired within 28 days. A landlord who does not comply faces two consequences: the authority must arrange the remedial work itself, with the tenant's consent, and it may impose a financial penalty of up to £5,000 per breach, under a penalty charge procedure with a right to make representations. For tenants, the practical route is to report missing or faulty alarms to the landlord in writing first, since the repair duty is triggered by the report, and to contact the council's private sector housing team if nothing happens. The duty is also part of the broader fitness standard: a home without required alarms can feature in a council's housing health and safety assessment, and alarm compliance is routinely checked in licensing schemes for houses in multiple occupation. For landlords, the cost side of the comparison is stark: a compliant alarm costs a small fraction of the £5,000 penalty, before considering the human stakes of getting it wrong.
Why carbon monoxide is dangerous and hard to detect
Carbon monoxide has no smell, taste or colour, and early poisoning symptoms, headache, dizziness, nausea and tiredness, mimic common illnesses, which is why a working alarm rather than human vigilance is the protection that reliably works.
Carbon monoxide is produced when carbon fuels, gas, oil, wood, coal and charcoal, burn without enough oxygen, which is what happens when an appliance is faulty, poorly maintained, badly ventilated or has a blocked flue. Because the gas is undetectable by human senses, and because the early symptoms overlap with flu, food poisoning and tiredness, poisoning at lower levels is often missed while exposure continues; higher concentrations can be fatal in a short time, and people are at particular risk while asleep. The classic warning signs in a property are lazy yellow or orange flames where they should be crisp and blue, soot or staining around an appliance, and excessive condensation in the room. The seasonal pattern is worth knowing too: risk rises whenever combustion happens in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, which makes autumn boiler switch-on a peak period, and summer brings its own cases through barbecues brought inside tents or awnings, portable generators, and camping stoves used in enclosed spaces, none of which should ever be used indoors or in a tent.
What should owner-occupiers and holidaymakers do
The landlord rules do not cover owner-occupied homes, but building regulations require a CO alarm when a new or replacement solid fuel appliance is installed, and fitting EN 50291 alarms near every combustion appliance, at home and when staying away, is the consistent official advice.
Owner-occupiers sit outside the rented sector regulations, but two things still apply. Building regulations require a carbon monoxide alarm to be fitted when a new or replacement fixed solid fuel appliance, such as a log burner, is installed in any home, and official safety guidance recommends an alarm in every room with a fuel-burning appliance regardless of tenure. Alarms should carry the British Standard EN 50291 marking, be positioned at head height between one and three metres from the appliance, and be tested regularly using the test button, with units replaced by the expiry date printed on them, typically after seven to ten years. Annual servicing of gas appliances by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and regular chimney sweeping for solid fuel, address the causes rather than just the detection. Away from home, the same gas is a known risk in holiday lets, boats, caravans and tents: a portable battery alarm packed with the luggage is a small precaution that covers accommodation where compliance cannot be checked, and barbecues and stoves must never be brought inside a tent or enclosed space, even after they appear to have gone out.
What are tenants entitled to demand
A carbon monoxide alarm in every qualifying room from day one of the tenancy, alarms proved working at the start, and repair or replacement as soon as reasonably practicable once a fault is reported, with the council as the enforcement route if the landlord fails.
The regulations give tenants a short, concrete checklist. At the start of a tenancy, the landlord must ensure a smoke alarm on every storey and a carbon monoxide alarm in every room of living accommodation with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker, all checked as working on the first day. During the tenancy, testing falls to the tenant, but the moment a fault is reported the landlord's duty to repair or replace as soon as reasonably practicable begins, and putting the report in writing creates the record that matters if enforcement is ever needed. Tenants should never be charged for the alarms the regulations require, and removing or disabling an alarm is in no one's interest: battery removal to silence low-battery chirps is a common and dangerous habit, and the fix is a replacement battery or unit, reported to the landlord where the alarm is theirs to maintain. Where a landlord does not act, the local authority's private sector housing team can serve a remedial notice, arrange the work and impose the £5,000 penalty, and the tenant's written report is the evidence that starts that process.
What to do if a carbon monoxide alarm sounds
- Open doors and windows immediately and turn off combustion appliances if it is safe to do so.
- Get everyone out of the property into fresh air and stay out.
- Call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999 for suspected gas appliance leaks.
- Seek medical help if anyone has symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea or breathlessness, and mention carbon monoxide.
- Do not use the appliances again until a suitably registered engineer has inspected them.
- Tenants should report the incident and any alarm fault to the landlord in writing.
RELATED GUIDES
DISCLAIMER
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or safety advice. Requirements described apply in England; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules. In an emergency involving suspected carbon monoxide, leave the property and call 0800 111 999 for gas emergencies or 999 if anyone is seriously unwell.
Frequently asked questions
Do landlords have to provide carbon monoxide alarms
Yes, in England. Since 1 October 2022, a CO alarm is required in every room used as living accommodation containing a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers, in both private and social rented homes, and landlords must repair or replace reported faulty alarms.
Is a CO alarm required for a gas boiler
Yes. A gas boiler is a fixed combustion appliance, so the room it sits in requires a carbon monoxide alarm in a rented home in England. The only excluded appliance is a gas cooker.
What is the fine for not having a carbon monoxide alarm
Local authorities can impose a financial penalty of up to £5,000 per breach on landlords who fail to comply with a remedial notice under the regulations.
Who tests the alarms during a tenancy
The landlord must check alarms are working on the first day of a new tenancy; regular testing during the tenancy is then the tenant's responsibility, with the landlord obliged to repair or replace an alarm as soon as reasonably practicable once told it is faulty.
What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
Headache is the most common, alongside dizziness, nausea, tiredness, confusion and breathlessness. Symptoms that improve away from home and return indoors, or that affect everyone in the household at once, are classic warning patterns; anyone affected should get into fresh air and seek medical help.
SOURCES
- The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 – accessed 23 July 2026
- GOV.UK, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, guidance for landlords and tenants – accessed 23 July 2026
- Health and Safety Executive, carbon monoxide safety – accessed 23 July 2026
