Murrieta, CA Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- CO alarms required
- Yes, operable at all times
- Smoke alarms required
- Yes, same subsection
- Also required
- Fire extinguisher, first aid kit
- Governing section
- Sec. 5.27.060(S)
- Inspection authority
- City may inspect anytime (Sec. 5.27.080)
Summary
Murrieta requires every short-term vacation rental to have operable smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, plus a fire extinguisher and first aid kit, as a condition of the permit under Chapter 5.27's life/safety compliance clause.
S. Life/safety compliance. The property that is the subject of the short-term vacation rental must meets basic life/safety requirements (including, but not limited to, operable smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguisher, first aid kit) and shall comply with minimum operating standards.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-23: A Codification of the General Ordinances of the City of Murrieta, California through Ord. 634-26, passed 7-7-2026).
Full Breakdown
Murrieta Code of Ordinances Section 5.27.060(S), titled 'Life/safety compliance,' states that the property that is the subject of a short-term vacation rental must meet basic life/safety requirements, including but not limited to operable smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, a fire extinguisher, and a first aid kit, and must comply with minimum operating standards. This sits within Chapter 5.27's broader operating requirements, which also require the owner to maintain a current business license under Chapter 5.04, to be reachable through a designated local contact person, and to permit city inspection at any time before or during operation under Section 5.27.080. Because the alarm requirement is written as a life/safety condition of the permit rather than a stand-alone building code section, the city can treat a missing or non-functioning carbon monoxide alarm as a permit compliance failure separate from any state Health and Safety Code smoke-alarm requirement that applies to residential property generally.
Violations & Fines
Failing to maintain operable smoke and carbon monoxide alarms violates Section 5.27.060(S)'s life/safety compliance clause, which is enforceable as a Chapter 5.27 operating violation under Section 5.27.100 through Chapters 1.32, 1.26 and 8.20 of the municipal code, and can be grounds for permit denial, suspension or revocation under Section 5.27.110.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Murrieta require carbon monoxide alarms in short-term rentals?
Can the city inspect a Murrieta short-term rental for safety compliance?
What happens if my short-term rental's CO alarm stops working?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Murrieta
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