Gas Safety Trust Welcomes Private Rented CO Alarm Assistance
The Gas Safety Trust has welcomed the recent announcement by Fire Minister Penny Mordaunt confirming a £3m fund to support the roll-out of smoke and carbon monoxide / CO alarm in the private rented sector.
This funding will go towards providing 445,000 smoke alarms and 40,000 CO alarms – which will be distributed amongst the 46 Fire and Rescue authorities across England in relation to the number of privately rented properties in their respective area.The announcement follows on from the recent regulations introduced which will require landlords to install both smoke and CO alarms from October 2015. The proposed measures will require landlords to ensure a working smoke alarm is installed on every floor of their property and test them at the start of every tenancy. Landlords that fail to install working smoke and CO alarms will face a civil penalty.
Gas Safety Trust Chairman Chris Bielby said, “This is very good news. The Gas Safety Trust has been working with Liverpool John Moores University and Fire and Rescue Services on a carbon monoxide research project which will understand low level carbon monoxide exposure.
“We have been lobbying government and making the case for government intervention to increase the alarm population, so we are delighted that this has been announced. Well done to all those who have been involved in the campaign for this change.”
