AKRON, Ohio – A new Akron law requires landlords and owners of all commercial residential buildings with fuel-burning appliances to install carbon monoxide detectors.
Akron City Council unanimously approved the ordinance, which the city described in a news release as “complaint driven.”
The law was introduced after a 66-year-old woman at Timber Top Apartments died as a result of a CO leak in October from a defective boiler, which also sickened several residents who were transported to the hospital.
In Akron, residential structures were already required to have smoke alarms and fire extinguishers, but not the wall- or ceiling-mounted devices that detect CO, a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas emitted by fuel-burning appliances.
While residents of rented housing units are required to replace the devices’ batteries as needed, the structures’ owners must ensure the CO devices work and are situated in mandated locations, such as outside each sleeping area and on all levels of buildings, including basements, according to the ordinance.
The law gives the Akron Fire Department and the Department of Neighborhood Assistance the authority to inspect buildings for CO detectors to ensure landlords are in compliance, the city said.
“Simply put, this ordinance is about saving lives,” said Mayor Dan Horrigan. “If we can prevent even one death by ensuring CO detectors are required, it will be worth it. I applaud City Council for their swift action and support in this matter.”
The city said it initially will rely on voluntary compliance and education, although noncompliant property owners and landlords could face fines or criminal penalties.
Carbon monoxide is produced by malfunctioning furnaces, gas stoves, water heaters, boilers and gas fireplaces that build up deadly levels of the poisonous gas, which residents unknowingly breath, officials said.
Clarence Tucker, Akron’s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, called CO the “silent killer.”
"If you don't catch the early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning — headache, dizziness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion — it's quite possible that you may lose consciousness before being able to call for help, and then it may be too late,” he said.
The Akron ordinance protects residents by requiring detectors in residential buildings, and also by making the potential dangers of CO a public conversation, so the city can educate residents on why it’s vital to have CO detectors in homes, Tucker said.
Residents living in rented dwellings with no CO detectors can file a complaint with the city by calling 3-1-1, or 330-375-2311. Complaints also can be filed at the Housing Compliance office by calling 330-375-2366, or filling out an online form.