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New carbon monoxide rules are now in effect

January 19, 2026

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By Angie Sullivan

All residents of Georgina should be double checking their homes to make sure they are following the updated rules to the Ontario Fire Code which took effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Carbon monoxide alarms are now required outside each sleeping area in residential homes and apartments that heat with fuel.

CO detectors are also needed on every storey of a unit that does not contain a sleeping area and in the room housing the fuel-burning appliance. Public hallways and corridors heated by the appliance also need alarms spaced no more than 25 metres apart.

According to the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs (OAFC), any building heated by forced-air fuel-burning appliances must comply with new CO alarm placement rules. This means that if your home is heated with a gas or oil furnace, a wood furnace, or any kind of hybrid system, the new rules apply to you. Water heaters and stoves are also included, as are attached garages.

Deputy Fire Chief Doug Bolton helped clarify, “If the bedrooms are close together then one CO alarm outside in the hallway would be sufficient. If the bedrooms are at opposite ends of the house (i.e. master bedroom on its own and secondary bedrooms in a different area) then the home would require 2 CO alarms.”

Georgina is a region with cottages and homes with crawl spaces, especially near Lake Simcoe.

“A crawl space is not considered an occupiable storey so a CO alarm is not mandated in the fire code in that area. However placing a CO alarm near the entrance to the crawl space would assist in providing early detection in the event carbon monoxide was being produced by the furnace,” said Bolton.

According to the Ontario Office of the Fire Marshal, in owner-occupied homes, the homeowner is responsible, and in rental homes, the onus is on the landlord to comply. These updates are intended to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide exposure, which can be especially dangerous because the gas cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted.

Known as the silent killer, CO poisoning, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, is responsible for 50 to 60 deaths annually in Canada.

“The intent of the expanded legislation is to increase early warning for residents on every level of their house,” said Bolton.

The OAFC also encourages residents to test alarms regularly to confirm they are working, remember to replace batteries when needed, and make sure your family has a plan if an alarm sounds.