REAL ESTATE: New Carbon Monoxide Detector Law

Starting on July 1st, 2009, real estate law in Colorado is changing. The new law taking effect requires all Home Sellers and Landlords to have Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detectors installed within 15 feet of any bedroom or sleeping area if the home has a gas-fired heating source, appliance, fireplace or an attached garage. There is a link to the actual State House Bill 1091 below. The alarms are available for purchase at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, etc., and can cost anywhere from$15 to $50. The goal, obviously, is to keep the population of Colorado safer by ensuring that (eventually) all homes will have CO detectors installed.

The law comes a little too late for one local family. In December 2008, the Murphy family, who had recently moved into a rental home in Manitou Springs, became ill with what they thought was the flu. They stayed home and rested, but when Joel Murphy awoke one morning to discover he couldn't walk, he called 911. He saved his own life and the life of his 2-year-old son, but tragically, Joel's wife Kelly was already dead.

Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, dizziness and nausea. The gas is produced by fuel that is incompletely burned, from fireplaces, furnaces, or even barbecue grills. This new law will help prevent senseless tragedies like the tragedy suffered by the Murphy family in Manitou Springs.

You can read the law and some general information below:

Carbon Monoxide Bill Signed into Law: Colorado's Governor Bill Ritter signed HB 1091 into law recently. The new law will cover all new residential construction and existing single-family and multi-family housing units offered for sale, transfer or rent. Beginning July 1, 2009, a seller or landlord of residential real property containing a fuel-fired heater or appliance, a fireplace, or an attached garage will be responsible for assuring that a carbon monoxide alarm is properly installed within 15 feet of the entrance to each room lawfully used for sleeping prior to the sale or lease of the property. No person shall have a claim for relief against a property owner or their authorized agent if a carbon monoxide alarm is installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s published instructions.