Newport News, VA Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 45-517.1(b)(4)
- Required equipment
- Smoke + CO detectors, extinguishers
- Exit plan
- Posted inside each bedroom door
- Applies to
- Short-term rentals only
Summary
Every short-term rental in Newport News must have working carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers, plus a posted exit plan accessible to guests at all times.
A short-term rental shall have working fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and an exit plan. All of such equipment and the exit plan shall be accessible to overnight lodgers at all times.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 81).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 45-517.1(b)(4) requires every short-term rental to have working fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors, plus an exit plan, all of which must stay accessible to overnight lodgers at all times. The exit plan itself must be posted inside each bedroom door, showing the path from that bedroom to the nearest exit. The requirement is specific to licensed short-term rentals under the zoning chapter, not a general residential mandate: other homes fall under the state-adopted building code instead.
Violations & Fines
Missing or non-working detectors are a zoning-code violation enforced by the zoning administrator; repeated violations can lead to revocation of the property's short-term rental certificate of zoning compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Newport News short-term rentals need carbon monoxide detectors?
Does this CO detector rule apply to all Newport News homes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newport News
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