Carbon Monoxide Detector for an Apartment: A Renter's Guide

Key Takeaways

• Put a carbon monoxide alarm outside the sleeping area of your apartment, and one on each level if the unit has stairs.
• Pick a battery-powered or battery-backup model listed to UL 2034, so it keeps working when the power goes out.
• Many states require landlords to provide CO alarms in rental units. Test the one in your unit, and add your own battery alarm wherever one is missing.

A carbon monoxide detector for an apartment goes in the hallway outside the bedrooms, runs on a sealed battery or has a battery backup, and carries a UL 2034 listing. One alarm covers a one-bedroom on a single floor; add one per level in a townhouse-style unit.

Carbon monoxide has no color and no smell. An alarm is the only way you will know it is there.

Does Your Apartment Need a Carbon Monoxide Detector?

Yes, if anything in or under your unit burns fuel. In an apartment that includes:

• A gas stove, oven or dryer
• A gas furnace, boiler or water heater, in your unit or in the building’s mechanical room
• A fireplace
• A parking garage attached to or under the building

Power outages add more sources: generators running near windows, and gas ovens or camp stoves used for heat. The CDC recommends battery-operated or battery-backup CO detectors near every sleeping area.

Does Your Landlord Have to Provide One?

In many states, yes. The National Conference of State Legislatures tracks these laws and notes that most states now require CO detectors, with many covering multifamily buildings. A few examples from its summary:

• North Carolina requires landlords to provide one working CO detector per level in rental units with a fossil-fuel heater or appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage.
• Oregon requires landlords to install CO alarms in rental units that contain or connect to a carbon monoxide source.
• Montana requires CO detectors in each dwelling unit a landlord rents.
• California makes tenants responsible for telling the owner when an alarm stops working.

Your state’s rule decides who installs the alarm, who replaces the battery, and which buildings qualify. The NCSL table lists each state’s statute.

What to do as a renter:

1. Look for an alarm in the hallway outside your bedroom. Press its test button.
2. If there is none, or it fails the test, email your landlord or building manager. A written request leaves a record.
3. Add your own battery alarm in the meantime. It moves with you to the next apartment.

Where to Put a Carbon Monoxide Detector in an Apartment

The CPSC recommends a CO alarm on every level of a home and outside each sleeping area. In an apartment, that means:

• One-bedroom or two-bedroom on one floor: in the hallway outside the bedrooms. If the bedrooms are at opposite ends of the unit, put one outside each.
• Studio: near your bed and away from the stove. The First Alert CO710’s manual sets a 5-foot minimum from cooking appliances.
• Townhouse or two-level unit: one on each level, with one outside the bedrooms.

First Alert’s placement guide adds where not to put it:

• Directly next to a furnace, water heater or fireplace
• In a bathroom or other high-humidity spot
• Directly in front of an HVAC vent or ceiling fan
• In a dead-air corner or behind furniture

First Alert notes that CO alarms do not need to sit near the floor. Mount it on a wall, plug it into an outlet or set it on a shelf, in the positions your model’s manual lists.

Which Type Works Best for Renters

Type	Power	Works in an outage	Renter fit
Sealed 10-year battery	Built-in lithium battery	Yes	Best: no wiring, no battery swaps, moves with you
Plug-in with battery backup	Wall outlet plus backup battery	Yes, on the backup battery	Good if you have an outlet in the hallway
Hardwired with battery backup	Building wiring plus battery	Yes, on the backup battery	Installed by the landlord
Plug-in without battery	Wall outlet only	No	Skip: it goes dark with your power

Look for UL 2034 on the box. The CPSC recommends alarms that meet this standard.

A digital display is worth the few extra dollars. It shows the CO reading in parts per million, and peak-level memory records the highest level it sensed, which helps the fire department or a technician track down the source. When the alarm sounds, get outside first and read the display later.

Our Picks for Apartments

Test It, Then Replace It on Schedule

• Test it every week. The manuals for both of our picks call for a weekly test: press and hold the test button until the horn sounds.
• Replace on the date on the alarm. Sealed 10-year models signal end of life with a chirp pattern. The CDC’s rule of thumb is a new alarm every 5 years or on the manufacturer’s schedule.
• Write the install date on the back with a marker. It tells you, and the next tenant, when the alarm is due.

What to Do When the Alarm Sounds

The CDC’s instructions: get outside to fresh air right away, then call 911. Bring everyone, pets included, and make the call from outside.

Know the symptoms so you can act even without an alarm: headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.

For the rest of an outage plan, read our guides to what to do when the power goes out and emergency cooking indoors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a carbon monoxide detector in my apartment?

Yes, if your unit or building has a gas stove, gas heating, a gas water heater, a fireplace or an attached parking garage. The CDC recommends a battery-operated or battery-backup CO detector near every sleeping area.

Where should a carbon monoxide detector go in an apartment?

In the hallway outside the bedrooms, and on every level if the unit has more than one floor. In a studio, place it near the bed and away from the stove. Keep it out of bathrooms and away from vents and fuel-burning appliances.

Is my landlord required to install a carbon monoxide detector?

In many states, yes. North Carolina, Oregon and Montana are among the states with laws covering rental or multifamily units. Some apply only to units with a gas appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage. The National Conference of State Legislatures keeps a table of each state's statute.

Does a plug-in carbon monoxide detector work in a power outage?

Only if it has a battery backup. A plug-in alarm without a battery stops working when the power goes out. Choose a sealed-battery model or a plug-in with battery backup.

How high should a carbon monoxide detector be mounted?

It does not need to be near the floor. Depending on the model, it mounts on a wall or ceiling, plugs into an outlet or sits on a shelf. Use the positions in your model's manual and keep it away from vents and ceiling fans.