Carter Jonas warning about 'the silent killer'

Letting agency Carter Jonas is reminding landlords of what it calls the silent killer which leads to the deaths of 50 people in the UK each year, many of them in the PRS.

Although carbon monoxide alarms are mandatory in HMOs, they are not obligatory in other rented accommodation. Even so, Lisa Simon, residential lettings head at the firm, is contacting her agency's landlord clients to advise them to fit the alarms not only to benefit tenants but also to give stronger legal protection to landlords.

"Combustion appliances fuelled by solid fuel, oil or gas all have the potential to cause carbon monoxide poisoning if poorly installed, inadequately maintained or incorrectly used. New appliances should already go some way towards protecting tenants but often it's older appliances that cause the problems" she says.

The Gas Safe register recommends the use of sound alarms which should be marked to EN 50291 and carry the British Standards' Institution kite mark; for maximum protection, an alarm should be fitted in each room with an appliance.

In some cases landlords are culpable if tenants die in their properties from a defect that could have been foreseen or prevented. Properties managed by Carter Jonas will have alarms fitted over the next four months.