TORONTO, April 28, 2026 – Ontario will strengthen enforcement of residential carbon monoxide, or CO, alarm rules starting May 1, 2026. Under the revised Ontario Fire Code, any home with fuel-burning equipment, including a furnace, water heater, or gas stove, must have a working CO alarm installed on every storey. Enforcement officials may carry out inspections in response to complaints. For newcomers, international students, and tenants living in basements or rooming houses, as well as small landlords renting out space, missing alarms, incorrect devices, or non-functioning units can create both safety risks and possible fines.
A carbon monoxide alarm is not the same as a smoke alarm. A smoke alarm is mainly used for fire warning, while a CO alarm detects carbon monoxide, which is colourless and odourless. For many tenants in shared rentals and basement units, the easiest mistake is assuming that if there is some kind of alarm on the ceiling, the home already meets the rule. In reality, that device may only be a smoke alarm.
Under the current requirement, any home with fuel-burning equipment must have a CO alarm on each floor and must ensure the device is working properly. In other words, it is not enough to place one unit only on the main floor or near the furnace and assume the whole house is covered. If a basement is rented out or divided for separate occupancy, tenants should also confirm whether the floor they live on has its own working alarm.
For landlords, installing and maintaining compliant devices is a basic safety responsibility. If a property is not equipped as required, or if the device is not kept in working order, enforcement action may follow. In serious cases, fines can reach as high as CAD $50,000. For small landlords, the more practical step after May 1 is to proactively inspect rental units instead of waiting until a complaint or inspection forces action.
In practical terms, tenants can start with three checks. First, look at the label on the device and confirm that it says Carbon Monoxide Alarm or CO Alarm, rather than only Smoke Alarm. Second, check whether there is a device on the floor where you live, especially in basements, near sleeping areas, and in separated rental spaces. Third, use the test button according to the product instructions and check for signs of expiry, low battery, or malfunction.
If a tenant finds that there is no CO alarm in the home, or that the device is clearly not working, the first step is to contact the landlord in writing, ask for confirmation or replacement, and keep copies of texts or emails. If there is still no response over time, tenants in Toronto can contact or file a complaint through 311, after which the relevant department can decide whether further inspection is needed.
At the same time, enforcement still has limits. Fire departments do not usually go door to door proactively inspecting private homes, and many problems are still only discovered after a complaint or an incident. Complaint channels and response times may also differ by municipality, so tenants should follow the information provided by their local fire department or 311 service.
When buying or replacing an alarm, readers should choose a product that meets Canadian standards and look for certification marks such as ULC. Devices that are unusually cheap, from unclear sources, or come only with foreign-language instructions may not meet local requirements. Installation should also follow the product instructions, rather than placing the unit randomly in a corner, behind furniture, or near a vent.
For many basement tenants, the more common problem is not that there is no alarm at all, but that they do not know what the alarm in the unit is actually designed to detect. If a tenant moves in and only sees a small white round device, it is worth confirming the model, testing function, and whether it covers that floor before assuming everything is compliant.
Readers who are preparing to move into, or are already living in, a basement or rooming house should check the alarm type, floor coverage, and working condition as soon as possible. Landlords should also keep purchase receipts, installation records, and communication records. If the English instructions are difficult to understand, family members, community organizations, or a maintenance professional can help confirm the device type, so that a misunderstanding does not leave a safety risk behind. (LJI Yuanyuan)
