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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Told i dont need a carbon monoxide detector

44 replies

Minnie16889 · 08/01/2021 12:15

My carbon monoxide alarm started beeping because of low battery, took it off the wall and saw it was due to be replaced November 2019.
Called housing association to see if they replace, to be told they do not and i do not need one unless the boiler is in a bedroom or i have an open fire.
Is this correct? I have a boiler in the kitchen, and though all houses needed one.
I got told if i want one for peace of mind then to go b&q, fair enough i will go buy one its not a problem.
But surely saying that one is not needed is wrong?

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 08/01/2021 12:19

Legally they don't need to provide one unless you have a solid fuel appliance e.g. coal/wood burner

It's in your own interest to have one near a gas appliance so I'd get one yourself

Original poster
Minnie16889 · 08/01/2021 12:21

Completely understand i need to pay for one, its them saying one is not needed in my home

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 08/01/2021 12:21

Mayne they were just saying they didn't need to provide one for you

lastqueenofscotland · 08/01/2021 12:22

Legally they don’t need to provide one unless you have a solid fuel appliance. You can buy stand alone ones for a few quid, if you’re worried just buy one

safariboot · 08/01/2021 12:26

YANBU.

They might be legally in the right, but I take a dim view of any landlord who will only do the bare legal minimum.

rslsys · 08/01/2021 14:32

If you don't need one, why was there one there in the first place?

dementedpixie · 08/01/2021 14:34

Maybe the previous tenant bought it

murbblurb · 08/01/2021 14:37

England - yes, that is legally correct. Smoke alarms are required but CO monitors aren't. Not a brilliant piece of legislation but there you go.

there's an up to date one in my rental even though it is not legally required, but then I'm a decent landlord not a shitty housing association.

They are around £8 from Aldi.

read the how to rent guide on gov.uk which tells you your rights.

HisNibs · 08/01/2021 14:55

I can't say about the legal position as I don't rent but every year when the gas engineer comes to service my boiler, they check the CO detector. The couple of years they came before I got a detector, it would be flagged on the report that I didn't have one. It should be located within 2m of the boiler

Ariela · 08/01/2021 15:19

Housing associations do not have to supply one (private landlords do), not sure why the difference, but thankfully they're pretty cheap now. If you cannot replace the battery for your own peace of mind I'd just buy one.

TheRosariojewels · 08/01/2021 15:32

I had to put loads in my property I rent as most of the rooms still have the original fireplaces, even though they aren’t set up to be used.

Kidssendingmenuts · 08/01/2021 15:34

I don't know the legal position for having one but you should always definitely have one anyway. You'll never know when it may save your life.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 08/01/2021 15:59

I have this conversation with gas engineers all the time.

Legislation relies on the gas safe checks being done yearly. If an appliance bus well maintained it won't need a CO monitor. But BG etc have Best Practice guidelines that are over and above the law... so a gas engineer will say there should be one when the law does not.

In law they are only required in a room with a solid fuel burner.

Almostslimjim · 08/01/2021 16:01

Yes, it isn't a legal requirement for your landlord to provide one, just a good idea for you to have one.

WouldstrokeTomHardy · 08/01/2021 16:05

You can order them from Argos and usually get next or even same day delivery. That's what we did when the one we bought ran out of puff

COinfo · 12/01/2021 12:35

As many have already said, the actual legal requirement for private landlords is to have one in rooms that contain a solid fuel appliance. The regulations will soon be reviewed and will hopefully cover more appliances and more properties but for now that is the legal situation. Thankfully many registered gas engineers are aware of the dangers of CO and recommend having an alarm in properties with any appliances that burns any type of fuel - solid, oil, gas, diesel, petrol, LPG. I would always endorse this recommendation, plus advise never to use portable appliances indoors that are meant for outdoor use (BBQs, generators, patio heaters, shisha charcoal burners to name a few). I would also have one if you share a wall, loft or adjoining garage with another property, as CO can travel through walls (and petrol/diesel engines are another hazard people often overlook). PLEASE ENSURE ANY ALARM YOU BUY IS FROM A REPUTABLE AND WELL-KNOWN MANUFACTURER, COMPLYING WITH STANDARD EN50291 - I'd be very interested to see the £8 ones from Aldi that a previous post mentioned. Fire Angel, Aico, Honeywell, Kidde are all good brands.

Queequeg07 · 12/01/2021 13:37

The Aldi one that I bought is a Kidde.

COinfo · 12/01/2021 15:33

@Queequeg07

The Aldi one that I bought is a Kidde.
Great, thanks for info
ArosGartref · 12/01/2021 15:41

Perhaps to be technically correct they should have said they are not legally obliged to provide one but she might not be aware of that. I imagine they are only as good their training.

BertieBotts · 12/01/2021 15:50

I had one for £5 from Tesco about 11 years ago. I don't have it any more as we haven't lived anywhere with gas for about 5/6 years now, but it worked fine - we tested it once with a cigarette as mentioned in the instructions! The battery ran out a couple of years ago and I shoved it away in a drawer. I don't recall the brand, but it didn't look sketchy/cheap - mind you there weren't as many Chinese electronics flooding the market back then. Possibly FireAngel. I can't be sure.

I would always have one if you have gas at all or share a property wall with someone who might possibly have gas. They are not expensive and could save your life.

Mydogisagentleman · 12/01/2021 16:09

I have a feeling that the carbon monoxide monitor is hard wired into our rental.
Unless it’s the smoke detectors

CloudyGladys · 12/01/2021 16:24

I have a feeling that the carbon monoxide monitor is hard wired into our rental.
Unless it’s the smoke detectors

The unit may detect both.

Iwantacookie · 12/01/2021 16:29

Check your gas safety certificate ours says about co2 detectors on there and they come check it when they check the boiler.

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 12/01/2021 16:41

They don't legally have to provide them but if you have gas appliances/boiler etc then I would consider that you need one. Luckily they are pretty cheap and easy to install. Or not install...ours sits on top of a cupboard as our ceiling has asbestos in it and we have been told not to screw anything into it.

murbblurb · 12/01/2021 16:54

@COinfo the Aldi one is made by Kidde and fully CE/kite marked - just installed it in my own house as there's a logburner. (I know, shoot me now as you all clutch your disposable coffee cups and drive round in your chunkmobiles...)

my rental has one as good practice and it is a Fire Angel. The gas safe chap does indeed check it each visit, its location was on his advice and I replaced it two years ago when it lifed out.

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