North Carolina law requires landlords to provide operable smoke alarms and, in units with fuel-burning appliances or an attached garage, carbon monoxide alarms. Since 2013, replacement smoke alarms must be tamper-resistant 10-year lithium-battery models. New homes must meet the state building code.
Under N.C.G.S. 42-42, landlords must provide UL-listed operable smoke alarms installed per NFPA standards or manufacturer instructions, and ensure they work at the start of each tenancy. Since December 31, 2012, any new or replacement smoke alarm must be a tamper-resistant, 10-year lithium-battery unit. Landlords must also supply at least one operable carbon monoxide alarm per level in units with a fossil-fuel heater, appliance, or fireplace, or an attached garage. New construction and remodels in Forsyth County follow the North Carolina Residential/Building Code adopted countywide, which sets alarm placement in bedrooms, outside sleeping areas, and on each level.
Failure to provide required alarms breaches the landlord's duty to maintain fit premises under N.C.G.S. 42-42 and can expose the landlord to liability and code-enforcement action.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
forsyth-county-nc
Home backyard composting is allowed in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. There is no ordinance requiring or banning it, but a compost pile must not become a nuis...
forsyth-county-nc
Neither Winston-Salem nor Forsyth County has a specific ordinance banning or mandating artificial turf for home lawns. Its use is governed by general zoning,...
forsyth-county-nc
Since 2024 Winston-Salem lets residents replace lawns with registered Natural Landscape Areas of native plants. Turf grass must stay under eight inches, area...
forsyth-county-nc
Collecting rainwater is legal in North Carolina, and no county or city may prohibit cisterns or rain barrels used for irrigation. Forsyth County sets no ban....
forsyth-county-nc
North Carolina has no statewide homeowner watering ban, and there is no permanent year-round schedule in Winston-Salem/Forsyth. Mandatory odd/even watering d...
forsyth-county-nc
Winston-Salem defines 'rank noxious vegetation' over eight inches as a nuisance, including non-native grasses, invasive plants, poisonous plants, and untende...
See how Forsyth County's smoke detectors rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.