Vacation Rental Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

A vacation rental should be a relaxing and enjoyable place to unwind while on holiday. Unfortunately, not all property owners in Colorado can be trusted to properly maintain their vacation rentals. If a rental space has a carbon monoxide leak, occupants can suffer carbon monoxide poisoning – a serious illness that could be fatal if left untreated.

What Is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless and colorless gas that is toxic when inhaled. When carbon monoxide enters the body, it can replace the oxygen cells that are typically bound to hemoglobin in the blood, resulting in a loss of oxygen reaching tissues and organs. 

Carbon monoxide can be released in dangerous quantities if a gas-powered appliance is not burning fuel efficiently. Incomplete fuel combustion can release CO into the atmosphere. If the room is not properly ventilated, CO can build up until it poses a risk to occupants.

If CO poisoning is not caught in time and remedied, it can have severe health effects, including headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, confusion, loss of consciousness, organ damage, seizures, permanent brain damage and death.

What Could Cause Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in a Vacation Rental?

Short-term vacation rentals such as those listed on Airbnb or VRBO may contain dangerous property defects that increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. People who own vacation rentals may fail to properly maintain the house, apartment, condo or cabin. This could result in maintenance issues that lead to CO leaks and accumulation.

Examples include: 

• Faulty or defective appliances
• Poorly maintained gas heating systems
• Running generators in enclosed spaces
• Poor ventilation or airflow
• A lack of carbon monoxide detectors (or dead batteries)
• Failing to adhere to carbon monoxide detector laws

All gas-burning appliances in a vacation rental in Colorado must be regularly inspected and maintained. This includes stoves, furnaces, heaters, generators, fireplaces, grills and vehicles. Ignoring property and appliance maintenance can allow CO to leak from these appliances and seep into the vacation home in dangerous quantities.

How to Protect Yourself From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in a Vacation Rental

Carbon monoxide incidents have taken lives in vacation rentals. Protect yourself against the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning while on vacation by bringing your own CO detector with you. This can keep you safe if a property owner does not have a carbon monoxide detector or has negligently allowed the detector to stop working.

Who Is Liable for Vacation Rental Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Colorado?

If carbon monoxide poisoning occurs while staying at a vacation rental in Colorado, the owner or controller of the property could be held responsible (liable) with a premises liability claim. This type of personal injury case aims to hold a property owner accountable for failing to ensure the reasonable safety of a premises before welcoming guests.

Renters at a vacation property in Colorado are invitees, and are owed the highest standards of care by property owners. If a landowner contributes to a case of carbon monoxide poisoning through negligence, meaning an act or omission that falls short of the standard of care, he or she can be held liable for the victim’s related medical bills and other losses.

To discuss a recent carbon monoxide poisoning case involving a vacation rental in Colorado, contact Cannon Law for a free consultation with one of our attorneys.