Lenexa, KS Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Lenexa City Code § 4-8-C-11, amending IRC R315.2.3
- Applies to
- One- and two-family dwellings and townhouses licensed under Chapter 2-16
- Alarm standard
- As required by the Code for new construction
- Base code
- International Residential Code, 2018 Edition
- Tenant inspection step
- Written request to owner first, dated copy to City
- Maximum fine
- $2,500 per offense, each day separate
Summary
In the City of Lenexa, Kansas, one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses licensed as rentals under Chapter 2-16 must be equipped with carbon monoxide alarms as the Code requires for new construction. Section 4-8-C-11 of the Lenexa City Code amends IRC R315.2.3 so the requirement follows the rental license.
Section R315.2.3 of the International Residential Code is hereby amended to read as follows: ... R315.2.3 Existing Buildings. All one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses which are licensed pursuant to the Residential Rental Licensing provisions set forth in Chapter 2-16 of the Lenexa City Code shall be equipped with carbon monoxide alarms as required by this Code for new construction.
Full Breakdown
Section 4-8-C-11 of the Lenexa City Code is the carbon monoxide companion to the smoke alarm amendment in Section 4-8-C-10. The Governing Body adopted the International Residential Code, 2018 Edition, in Section 4-8-C-1 and then repealed, added or amended individual sections. Here it amends IRC Section R315.2.3, Existing Buildings, to read that all one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses licensed under the Residential Rental Licensing provisions of Chapter 2-16 shall be equipped with carbon monoxide alarms as required by the Code for new construction. The trigger is the license, not a permit or a sale, so a rental house built decades ago carries the same alarm duty as a new one. The amended text speaks only to dwellings licensed under Chapter 2-16.
Rental licensing is set out in Article 2-16-A. Section 2-16-A-4 prohibits renting or offering a rental dwelling until the owner holds a license, Section 2-16-A-8 expires every license on December 31, and Section 2-16-A-6 makes continued compliance with all applicable Building and Housing Codes materially affecting health and safety a condition of holding it. The rental dwelling also cannot be declared or found unsafe or dangerous for human habitation under any applicable code or law.
Enforcement runs through the inspection program in Section 2-16-A-13. Interior inspections are available on a tenant request, after three or more notices in 12 months for the same dwelling, or in an emergency. Before asking the City to enter, a tenant must first request correction from the owner or manager and hand the City a dated copy of that request, unless the City finds an emergency. Every tenant must also give the owner access to make repairs needed to comply with City Code, which covers installing or replacing a carbon monoxide alarm.
Violations & Fines
A licensed rental missing the required carbon monoxide alarms is a Code violation served by Notice of Violation with a corrective action date under Section 3-5-H-7. Section 1-1-C-3 sets a fine up to $2,500, up to one year of jail, or both, with each day counted as a separate offense. Failure to correct can cost the owner the rental license under Section 2-16-A-12, and four notices in 12 months permit immediate revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are carbon monoxide alarms required in Lenexa rental homes?
Does this section cover an owner-occupied house in Lenexa?
How does a tenant get the City of Lenexa to check for missing alarms?
What is the penalty for a landlord who leaves a rental without alarms?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lenexa
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