Most homes in California will be required to have a functional carbon monoxide device in place as of July 1, 2011. I say "hooray" to that. Sensors are cheap, there is no reason not to place one in your house if you have any type of fossil fuel appliance, fireplace or attached garage.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) has been dubbed the "silent killer". CO is colorless and odorless, and is the cause of up to 40 avoidable deaths each year in California. According to the American Medical Association, carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of accidental (poisoning) deaths in the U.S.
The presence of a carbon monoxide detector will be disclosed on our California Association of Realtor's Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS). It will not prohibit the transfer of property if the seller answers "no", but I'll bet that many agents will make sure that one is installed before a new buyer moves in.
It is not unusual for me to have a supply of smoke detectors in the back of my SUV. Something tells me I will be adding CO detectors to my cache within the next 6 months. Come to think of it, I'll be installing one in my home today.
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