The Greedy Reason Most Hotels Don't Have Carbon Monoxide Detectors

May 2024 ยท 1 minute read

As of 2023, only 14 U.S. states mandate carbon monoxide detectors in hotel rooms. Per REM Risk Consultants, there are no federal regulations surrounding carbon monoxide safety in the hospitality industry, nor are there any requirements to train hotel and motel staff in carbon monoxide risk. As of 2012, the International Fire Code guidelines recommended hotels and motels place carbon monoxide detectors in rooms or at least in common areas. That stipulation was removed three years later at the urging of the lodging industry.

Online short-term rental platforms like AirBnB, among others, recommend carbon monoxide detectors inside rental spaces, and AirBnB offers free units to hosts. As of 2020, only a little more than half of all Airbnb hosts had installed one, though, via the NYT. 

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include "headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Carbon monoxide, or CO is without smell or color, and especially dangerous and difficult to detect until it's too late. Per the CDC, 400 people in the U.S. die each year from accidental CO exposure, tens of thousands more are sent to the ER, and more than 10,000 people are hospitalized.

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