Landlords urged to check CO alarms after faults revealed

With gas safety paramount in the PRS, making sure that you have a working CO Alarm is a vital landlord requirement, and something that absolutely cannot be scrimped on.

However, with spiralling costs for landlords, many are turning to cheaper options, available from Ebay or Amazon to fit into their properties, especially if there is a requirement for multiple alarms across a large portfolio.

If this sounds familiar, you may want to look at readdressing your alarms, as dozens of alarms have been removed from sale via these online sites, after failing vital safety tests, carried out by trusted product surveyor, Which?

Four detectors bought and tested by Which? were found not to sound in the presence of a potentially deadly build up of carbon monoxide, despite all four claiming to meet the British Safety Standard. One, the Topolek GEHS007AW CO, a £14.99 Amazon bestseller, failed to detect the gas in over 80% of Which? Tests.

Three other unbranded alarms also failed repeatedly.

The four alarms have all been removed from sale by both Ebay and Amazon, and a further 50 have also been delisted. Advice to consumers who have bought these alarms is to replace them immediately – your local council or fire station should be able to assist with a secure, effective alternative – and pursue the online seller for a full refund through their refund scheme..