Hanover County, VA Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

1(2)(g). Both provisions use identical language: the property owner must provide and maintain, in good working order, every smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, fire extinguisher, and any other safety equipment the Building Code or other applicable law requires in the rental, and the owner may not obstruct any emergency egress required by law. Because the clause folds in 'other applicable law,' it effectively pulls in whatever detector and extinguisher standards the county's adopted building code imposes for the structure type, so a short-term rental in a converted accessory structure can carry different equipment requirements than a rental inside the primary dwelling.

The safety-equipment duty is one of the standing conditions attached to every short-term rental permit, alongside occupancy caps, parking, and posting requirements found in the same section, and it is checked alongside those conditions when the Planning Department or zoning administrator investigates a complaint. An owner who lets working detectors lapse, or blocks an emergency exit to add storage or furniture, is out of compliance with the short-term rental standards even if no fire or carbon monoxide incident has occurred, because the section requires equipment to be maintained, not merely installed once.