All states have laws (statutes) that require landlords to install and maintain smoke detectors in leased residential premises (apartments, homes).

Some states such as Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Vermont require photoelectric or ionization sensors—at least in new construction. And Oregon requires smoke detectors with a HUSH mechanism that allows the alarm to be silenced or temporarily desensitized for 7 minutes while a known condition such as cooking is causing the alarm to activate.

Most states also require landlords to install and maintain carbon monoxide detectors in leased residential premises. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are widely available in the same device.

In Michigan, landlords are required by law to install and maintain smoke detectors in leased residential properties. Michigan's Public Act 207 of 1941, as amended, which includes the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act, mandates that smoke detectors be installed in accordance with the Michigan Residential Code. This code specifies the type, placement, and maintenance of smoke detectors in residential buildings. While Michigan law does not specify the requirement for photoelectric or ionization sensors as some other states do, it does require compliance with the current standards of the Michigan Building Code. Additionally, Michigan law requires the installation and maintenance of carbon monoxide detectors in residential rental properties. The Carbon Monoxide Alarm Standards Act (Act 182 of 2009) stipulates that a carbon monoxide alarm must be installed in any rental unit that contains a fuel-burning appliance or is attached to a garage. Landlords are responsible for ensuring that these devices are in good working order at the time of lease commencement, and tenants are typically responsible for the maintenance of the alarms during their tenancy, unless the lease specifies otherwise.