SAFETY ISSUES

New Law Regarding Carbon Monoxide Detectors

   California Senate Bill 183, signed into law May 7, 2010, was designed to protect California residents from carbon monoxide poisoning.  The law is a two-part law that requires an update to the Transfer Disclosure Statements used in a real estate transaction, and puts into law the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevent Act of 2010.

The first part of the new law requires that effective July 1, 2011, Transfer Disclosure Statements (TD forms) must include a line item regarding the presence or absence of a Carbon Monoxide detector for all residential units that are sold.  This applies to just about all types of occupancies from single family owner-occupied and rentals, to multi-family housing.  If the property is being sold, it must now include a CO Detector if the dwelling has gas appliances, fireplaces, and/or attached garages.

The second part of the law enacts the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 which requires that all residential properties, not just those being sold, be equipped with a Carbon Monoxide detector when the property has a fossil fuel burning heater or appliance, fireplace, and/or an attached garage.  All single-family homes in structures with 1-4 units (owner or tenant occupied) must be equipped with a detector on or before July 1, 2011.

All other multi-family residential units must be equipped with a detector on or before January 1, 2013, not just those being sold.

For rentals, the Carbon Monoxide detector must be operable at the time the tenant takes possession.  A tenant is responsible for notifying the owner or owner’s agent if the tenant becomes aware of an inoperable or deficient carbon monoxide detector within his or her unit.  The owner or owner’s agent must correct any reported deficiencies in the carbon monoxide detector and will not be in violation of this section for a deficient or inoperable carbon monoxide detector when he or she has not received notice of the deficiency or inoperability.

The bottom line is that ALL SINGLE FAMILY residential housing units as of July 1, 2011 must have a CO detector, even those that are not being sold.  All other dwelling units (multi-family, dormatories, hotels, motels, etc) must have CO detectors installed by January 1, 2013. 

Guidelines for Barbecues in Apartment Communities

     In 2007, the California Fire Code was amended to provide a prohibition on charcoal burners or other open flame cooking devices (wood or propane) operated within ten feet of combustible construction in multi-family buildings.  The regulations, which took effect in 2008, restrict most barbecues used in multi-family housing units.  Electric grills and electric heating devices are allowed.

Bayside Management has updated the Rules and Regulations Document that is attached to the lease of each tenant in multi-family buildings to reflect these changes.