It's been the law for a while, but the time for practicing the law has come. In the 2006 session of the Minnesota State Legislature, a new law (Minnesota Statute 299F.50) was passed requiring carbon monoxide detectors be installed in all residential units in Minnesota. The actual wording is that every residential property owner is responsible to have "an approved and operational (my emphasis) carbon monoxide alarm installed within ten feet of each room lawfully used for sleeping purposes". The statute went into effect January 1, 2007, for all new construction residential buildings; August 1, 2008, (that's this month) for single family homes; and August 1, 2009, for all multi-family buildings. The owner of the buildings are responsible for providing the carbon monoxide detectors and the residents are responsible for keeping the detectors supplied with batteries and operational.
The law doesn't say how a carbon monoxide detector is approved, nor does it define who will be responsible to supervise whether these detectors exist in homes. It also does not define the penalty for not complying! I have visions of city and state inspectors going from door to door throughout the state asking to come in to check for the detectors and making non-compliant home owners stand in the corner! Reality probably will filter down to a simpler method like attaching a requirement to the various point of sale inspections in municipalities where they exist. St. Paul currently only requires a hard wired smoke detector as part of their truth in housing inspections, but chances are very good the carbon monoxide alarm will be added soon.
Two exceptions to the rule exist:
- State owned properties. My question is, "Aren't residents of state owned properties as vulnerable as residents of privately owned properties? Why the exception?"
- Properties that have no sources of carbon monoxide or minimal sources. The perfect example of this is an apartment building that is powered solely by electricity and has NO gas to the premises!
I'm guessing there's not been a run on carbon monoxide detectors at the stores. There are many different varieties from which to choose. However, I doubt home owners will comply until the law makers figure out how they plan to enforce this new law!
Perfect example of a law with good intentions but is not well thought out. Everyone should have a co detector or a combo smoke alarm/co detector.
Posted by: Carbon Monoxide Detector supply | August 22, 2008 at 05:40 PM