Investor · castle Rock, CO · Member since 2024 · 27 posts · 7 votes
I am installing wireless, ten year lithium battery combo smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in my rentals.
I do not want the hardwired combo (more expensive and complicated to install) - From what I've read, hardwiring is required for multi-family housing, but I don't see that it is for single family residential. I have a single fam rental and also a duplex rental. I don't think the duplex would be considered multi-fam, whereas a 4 plex is?
Also, apart from hardwired vs wireless, I still have the option of alarms in different rooms being interconnected (i.e. if one alarm goes off, they go off all over the house). I'm wondering if there are specific requirements for rentals in Colorado for interconnected alarms?
If anyone has further clarity on what is required by law, please share.
Kidde alarms are more expensive than other brands. Are they worth the additional expense?
Rental Property Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 5k+ votes
2y
I don't know the CO law.
A duplex by nature is multi-family. Perhaps CO has carved out duplexes from being multi-family? Seems odd that they would.
The laws on smoke/CO2 detectors aren't going to get more lenient as time goes on. Most states seem to be going in the direction that they must be hardwired with a backup battery and they must be interconnected. It also probably just a matter of time before insurance companies require this, especially on rentals, even if the law doesn't.
Personally, I say get ahead to the law on these and install them now. It's not a huge cost.
Any single building in which accommodates more than 1 family living separately is considered multi-family. The distinction is that 4 units or less is referred to as residential/small multifamily, and 5+ units is referred to as commercial multifamily.
These are the default guidelines IF there are no other specific requirements by the county, city (it would most likely be from the city). It says for these buildings "alarms shall receive their primary power from the building wiring”. Oddly enough in this document they define multi-family as:
“ "MULTI-FAMILY" means a structure containing three or more dwelling units or a bed and breakfast dwelling that has six or more guest rooms. “