Article 5.

Landlord and Tenant Duties.

§ 42A-31.  Landlord to provide fit premises.

A landlord of a residential property used for a vacation rental shall:

(1) Comply with all current applicable building and housing codes to the extent required by the operation of the codes. However, no new requirement is imposed if a structure is exempt from a current building or housing code.

(1a) Comply with all applicable elevator safety requirements in G.S. 143-143.7.

(2) Make all repairs and do whatever is reasonably necessary to put and keep the property in a fit and habitable condition.

(3) Keep all common areas of the property in safe condition.

(4) Maintain in good and safe working order and reasonably and promptly repair all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, and other facilities and major appliances supplied by him or her upon written notification from the tenant that repairs are needed.

(5) Provide operable smoke detectors. The landlord shall replace or repair the smoke detectors if the landlord is notified by the tenant in writing that replacement or repair is needed. The landlord shall annually place new batteries in a battery-operated smoke detector, and the tenant shall replace the batteries as needed during the tenancy. Failure of the tenant to replace the batteries as needed shall not be considered negligence on the part of the tenant or landlord.

(6) Provide a minimum of one operable carbon monoxide alarm per rental unit per level, either battery-operated or electrical, that is listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory that is OSHA-approved to test and certify to American National Standards Institute/Underwriters Laboratories Standards ANSI/UL2034 or ANSI/UL2075, and install the carbon monoxide alarms in accordance with either the standards of the National Fire Protection Association or the minimum protection designated in the manufacturer's instructions, which the landlord shall retain or provide as proof of compliance. A landlord that installs one carbon monoxide alarm per rental unit per level shall be deemed to be in compliance with standards under this subdivision covering the location and number of alarms. The landlord shall replace or repair the carbon monoxide alarms within three days of receipt of notification if the landlord is notified of needed replacement or repairs in writing by the tenant. At least every six months, the landlord shall ensure that a carbon monoxide alarm is operable and in good repair. Unless the landlord and the tenant have a written agreement to the contrary, the landlord shall place new batteries in a battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm annually and the tenant shall replace the batteries as needed during the tenancy. Failure of the tenant to replace the batteries as needed shall not be considered as negligence on the part of the tenant or the landlord. A carbon monoxide alarm may be combined with smoke alarms if the combined alarm does both of the following: (i) complies with ANSI/UL2034 or ANSI/UL2075 for carbon monoxide alarms and ANSI/UL217 for smoke alarms and (ii) emits an alarm in a manner that clearly differentiates between detecting the presence of carbon monoxide and the presence of smoke. This subdivision applies only to dwelling units having a fossil-fuel burning heater, appliance, or fireplace and in any dwelling unit having an attached garage. Any operable carbon monoxide detector installed before January 1, 2015, shall be deemed to be in compliance with this subdivision.

These duties shall not be waived; however, the landlord and tenant may make additional covenants not inconsistent herewith in the vacation rental agreement. (1999-420, s. 1; 2016-98, s. 1.3; 2022-56, s. 3.)