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Bethlehem, PA Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Requirement
Floor plan must show CO detector locations
Also required
Smoke alarm locations, windows, doorways
Coverage
Every level, plus attached structures
Compliance
Owner must stay in constant compliance
Checked at
Annual Bureau of Housing inspection

Summary

A Bethlehem Short Term Lodging License application must include a floor plan showing the location of every carbon monoxide detector and smoke alarm in the unit, mapped level by level along with windows and doorways, before the City will issue or renew the license.

1. An accurately-drawn floor plan of the residence showing the number of bedrooms and location of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Floor plans must show details for every level of the residence and any attached structures, and the location of windows and all interior and exterior doorways.

Full Breakdown

04(C)(1) makes the floor plan a mandatory, ongoing compliance document, not a one-time paperwork exercise: the applicant must submit it and 'remain in constant compliance' with what it shows. The plan has to be accurately drawn and identify the number of bedrooms plus the location of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of the residence and in any attached structures, along with every window and interior and exterior doorway. 04(C)(2) adds that the floor plan must also clearly mark which bedrooms are licensed for Short Term Lodging, and those bedrooms must sit inside the principal dwelling, not in an accessory building.

05(G), which the owner must schedule and pay for; skipping that inspection is itself grounds for revoking the Short Term Lodging license. Because the detector locations are baked into the licensed floor plan, adding or removing bedrooms, converting attached space, or otherwise altering the layout without updating the plan on file puts the license out of compliance even if smoke and CO alarms are physically present, since the ordinance ties safety-equipment mapping directly to what the City approved.

Violations & Fines

A Short Term Lodging Facility found out of compliance with its filed floor plan, including missing or unmapped carbon monoxide detectors, is subject to a formal warning, suspension, revocation, or non-renewal of the license under § 1741.06, in addition to penalties under § 1741.08.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Bethlehem require carbon monoxide detectors in short-term rentals?
Section 1741.04(C)(1) requires the floor plan submitted with the Short Term Lodging License application to show the location of carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms on every level of the residence, and the owner must remain in constant compliance with that plan.
Who checks that the CO detectors match the licensed floor plan?
The City of Bethlehem Bureau of Housing performs the annual inspection required under § 1741.05(G), which the owner must schedule and pay for; failing to do so is grounds for revoking the Short Term Lodging license.
Does the floor plan rule apply to single-bedroom rentals too?
Yes. Section 1741.04(C)(2) requires the floor plan for a specific-bedroom arrangement to clearly designate the licensed bedrooms, which must be located inside the principal dwelling and not in an accessory building.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Bethlehem

All Bethlehem rules

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