Loudoun County, VA Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- CO detectors required
- 1 per floor, minimum
- Smoke detectors
- interconnected, each sleeping room/floor
- Fire extinguisher
- 1 per floor, conspicuous location
- Egress
- 2 means per sleeping room, ground floor
- Modifiable by exception?
- no: cannot be waived
- Reviewed at
- Zoning Permit floor-plan stage
Summary
Every floor of a Loudoun County short-term rental must have at least one working carbon monoxide detector, alongside an interconnected smoke detector in each overnight-accommodation room, a fire extinguisher per floor, and two means of ground-floor egress from every room used for sleeping.
Safety Requirements. Dwelling units used for the Short-Term Rental, Commercial Whole House use must meet the following requirements: Each room used for overnight accommodations and floor must have an operational smoke detector that is interconnected with the smoke detectors in the rest of the structure; Each floor must have at least 1 operational fire extinguisher in a conspicuous location that is clearly marked and accessible to guests; Each floor must have at least 1 operational carbon monoxide detector; All rooms that may be used for overnight accommodations must have at least 2 means of continuous and unobstructed egress to the outside of the Dwelling Unit on the ground floor.
Full Breakdown
7 (Residential Accessory) set the same five-item safety checklist for any dwelling unit used as a short-term rental: each room used for overnight accommodations, and each floor, must have an operational smoke detector interconnected with the rest of the structure's detectors; each floor must have at least one operational fire extinguisher in a conspicuous, clearly marked, accessible location; each floor must have at least one operational carbon monoxide detector; every room that may be used for overnight accommodations must have at least two means of continuous, unobstructed egress to the outside on the ground floor; and a fire safety plan with emergency contact information for the operator or manager, local law enforcement, and fire and rescue must be posted conspicuously.
These requirements are baked into the permitting process itself: the Zoning Permit application must include 'a floor plan of the Dwelling Unit(s) being rented illustrating conformance with the safety requirements' of this section, so the County reviews CO-detector and egress placement before it ever issues the permit, not after the fact.
Violations & Fines
Sections 4.03.05.B.1 and C.1 list the safety-requirements provisions among those that 'cannot be modified by Minor Special Exception,' meaning the Zoning Administrator has no discretion to waive the carbon monoxide detector or the rest of the safety checklist for any short-term rental. A rental found operating without a compliant floor plan or missing a required detector is out of compliance with its Zoning Permit, exposing the operator to zoning enforcement in addition to any life-safety citation from the Fire Marshal under the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code approval referenced in the permit application.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many carbon monoxide detectors does a Loudoun County short-term rental need?
Can the County waive the carbon monoxide detector requirement for my property?
When does the County check that I have the required detectors installed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Loudoun County
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