New carbon monoxide alarm rules start Jan. 1

Effective Jan. 1, 2026, the Ontario Fire Code will require carbon monoxide (CO) alarms on every storey of a home that has a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace, or attached garage. 

Existing rules that require detectors outside sleeping areas will remain in place. 

The new rules apply to more than just single detached homes. Multi-unit residential buildings such as condos and apartment buildings, multi-unit residential buildings such as boarding, lodging, and rooming houses, and multi-unit buildings such as hotels and motels must also meet the new requirements. Care and group homes are covered under the new rules, too. 

“At the core, this is all about enhancing safety for everyone,” Fire Chief Jared Cayley said. 

Kyle Steele, fire prevention officer for the Gravenhurst Fire Department, said carbon monoxide in a home can have deadly consequences. 

“It’s called the silent killer because it is odourless, colourless, and tasteless, making it undetectable without a CO alarm,” he said. “It can poison you quickly and ultimately take your life.”

Cayley and Steele said they want people to take the new regulations seriously. 

“Don’t put this off – if you don’t have working CO alarms on every level of your home change that immediately,” Cayley said. 

Carbon monoxide is produced when fuels do not completely burn off in devices such as furnaces, gas or wood fireplaces, stoves, barbecues, and generators. 

Exposure can cause such symptoms as headaches, nausea, dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, and, eventually, death. 

If you have a CO alarm and it sounds, exit your home immediately and call 9-1-1. 

Learn more about the regulations.

Residents with questions about the changes can contact the Gravenhurst Fire Department at 705-687-3414.

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