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

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

Key Facts

Requirement
CO alarms required in dwellings
Maintenance standard
Maintained per NFPA 720
Citation
Property Maintenance Code §§ 705.1-705.2
Penalty range
$75-$1,000 fine, up to 90 days
Enforcer
Property Maintenance Division

Summary

Reading's Property Maintenance Code requires carbon monoxide alarms in dwellings per the International Fire Code and Residential Code, and mandates they stay maintained under NFPA 720 and be replaced when they fail or signal end-of-life.

[F] 705.1 General. Carbon monoxide alarms shall be installed in dwellings in accordance with Section 1103.9 of the International Fire Code, as adopted by the City of Reading, except that alarms in dwellings covered by the International Residential Code, as adopted by the City of Reading, shall be installed in accordance with Section R315 of that code. [F] 705.2 Carbon monoxide alarms and detectors. Carbon monoxide alarms and carbon monoxide detection systems shall be maintained in accordance with NFPA 720. Carbon monoxide alarms and carbon monoxide detectors that become inoperable or begin producing end-of-life signals shall be replaced.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-8: Current through August 10, 2026).

Full Breakdown

Under § 705.1 of Reading's adopted Property Maintenance Code (City Code § 180-1301), carbon monoxide alarms must be installed in dwellings per Section 1103.9 of the International Fire Code as adopted by the city, or Section R315 of the International Residential Code for dwellings covered by that code. Section 705.2 requires alarms and detection systems to be maintained per NFPA 720, and any unit that becomes inoperable or starts giving an end-of-life signal must be replaced immediately. The Property Maintenance Division enforces the requirement; violations are prosecuted as summary offenses.

Violations & Fines

Violating the Property Maintenance Code, including the CO alarm rule, is a summary offense: fines of $75-$500 for the first two violations, $150-$1,000 after that per subsection per property, plus a $50 Neighborhood Mitigation Penalty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Reading require carbon monoxide detectors in homes?
Yes. Under Property Maintenance Code § 705.1, dwellings must have CO alarms installed per the International Fire Code or, where applicable, the International Residential Code's Section R315.
What happens if a CO alarm stops working?
Section 705.2 requires it to be replaced once it becomes inoperable or starts giving an end-of-life signal; alarms and detection systems must otherwise be maintained under NFPA 720.

Sources & Official References

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