Orange County, NY Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Orange County Commissioner of Health
- Trigger
- Unvented flame space heater as heat source
- Detector placement
- Same room, plus near every sleeping room
- Maintenance duty
- Property owner (power source)
- Citation
- Sanitary Code Art. III §5(2)(a)
Summary
Orange County's Sanitary Code bans unvented flame space heaters in rentals unless the owner installs a carbon monoxide detector in the same room as the heater plus additional detectors near every sleeping room, under Article III, Section 5(2)(a); the alarms can't be removed or disabled except for service.
Exception: Unvented flame space heaters shall be permitted if they are installed and maintained properly, used as a secondary source of heat, a carbon monoxide detector is installed in the same room as the unvented flame space heater, and additional carbon monoxide detector(s) is/are installed in close proximity to all sleeping rooms. Maintenance of power source shall be the property owner's responsibility. Required carbon monoxide alarms shall not be removed or disabled, except for replacement, service or repair purposes.
Full Breakdown
Article III, Section 5 sets minimum thermal standards for dwelling units, and subdivision 2 addresses space and water heaters directly. The baseline rule bans unvented flame space heaters and any space heater lacking a back-draft diverter and automatic controls; portable electric heaters approved under local or state electrical and fire codes are acceptable instead. " The same subdivision puts maintenance of the detector's power source squarely on the property owner, and bars removing or disabling a required carbon monoxide alarm except for replacement, service or repair.
Section 5 separately bars any fuel-burning device, vented or not, from a water closet compartment, toilet room, bathroom or sleeping room. Enforcement runs through the same Article III, Section 6 inspection and written-notice process as the rest of the Housing Hygiene article, so a missing detector next to an unvented heater becomes a chargeable violation once the county documents it and the owner misses the correction deadline.
Violations & Fines
Operating an unvented flame heater without the required carbon monoxide detectors, or disabling one outside of service or repair, is a Sanitary Code violation: up to $250 for a first offense and $500 for a repeat, plus up to 15 days in jail, or a civil penalty up to $2,000 per violation added to the property's tax bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Orange County require carbon monoxide detectors in rentals?
Can a landlord remove a carbon monoxide alarm?
Are unvented heaters even allowed in Orange County rentals?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orange County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Orange County to another location·View the New York building safety overview
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