26 Jun 2024
As of August 1, 2024, the State of Minnesota will require owners of hotels, motels, and lodging houses to install a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm in any room that can be lawfully used for sleeping.
- This statute requires an approved and operational CO alarm to be installed within ten feet of sleeping areas in single-family and multi-family dwellings, as well as in every guest room of a hotel or lodging house.
- Owners of multifamily dwellings and hotels/lodging houses must provide and install CO alarms within ten feet of any room lawfully used for sleeping. They are also responsible for replacing alarms that are missing or inoperable.
- Occupants of multifamily dwellings must maintain CO alarms provided by the owner and replace them if necessary.
- Removing batteries or rendering CO alarms inoperable is prohibited.
- Exceptions can occur if a multifamily dwelling has approved and operational CO detectors installed between 15 and 25 feet of CO-producing fixtures, provided there is a centralized alarm system or other mechanism for responsible parties to hear the alarm. Some dwellings may be exempt if they pose minimal carbon monoxide risks. State-operated facilities are also exempt.
- A first offense against these regulations results in a safety warning, while subsequent offenses will result in a petty misdemeanor.