Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in rentals: a landlord checklist

Alarms only help if they work and someone hears them. Rules on smoke and CO alarms in rentals differ by state and city, so check your local code. This checklist covers the safety basics the public guidance agrees on.

Smoke alarms

  • Install them on every level of the home, including the basement.
  • Test each one at move-in, and ask tenants to press the test button once a month.
  • Replace batteries twice a year, unless the alarms use 10 year lithium batteries.
  • Replace the whole alarm 10 years after the date it was made.

Carbon monoxide alarms

  • Install battery operated CO alarms, or alarms with battery backup, on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas.
  • Fuel burning appliances like furnaces, gas stoves and fireplaces, and attached garages, are the usual sources.
  • Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected each year by a professional.

Make reporting easy

A tenant who hears a chirp at 2 a.m. and doesn't know who to tell will often pull the battery. Tell tenants in plain words what a chirp means and how to reach you, and fix it fast when they do.

Teach the response

Tenants should know what to do when an alarm goes off: get out, close doors behind them and call 911 from outside. For a CO alarm, get everyone to fresh air first, even if nobody feels sick. SaferResident's course covers both.

Teach it once, for every tenant. SaferResident sends each tenant a 20 minute phone course built around your building, with reminders, and gives you a certificate for every unit. $2 per unit per month, billed once a year as $24 per unit. Free for the first 60 days.

Join early access See what tenants learn

Sources

Updated October 1, 2026. General safety information. It doesn't replace your building's safety systems, local codes or your lease. In an emergency, call 911.

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