Home Emergency Equipment
For Rental Units

Responsible landlords who install home emergency equipment in their rental units will provide a substantial benefit for protecting the lives and safety of their tenants.

However, state and local safety codes normally specify the minimum safety equipment requirements for residential rental property. These requirements are the law and must be complied with.

With that being said, at the very least, no residential rental apartment should be without the following emergency equipment:

1.) Portable Fire Extinguisher - A class ABC fire extinguisher should be mounted in the kitchen to extinguish small cooking fires. Cooking fires are the number one cause of residential fires, and providing an extinguisher will greatly improve occupant safety.

2.) Smoke Detectors - Properly operating smoke detectors (with good batteries) are an absolute necessity for protecting the lives of all occupants. No rental unit should be without some form of operating smoke detector(s).

3.) Fire Escape / Safety Ladder - For rental units that are above the first floor level, a fire escape or safety ladder should be provided for the rental unit. This will allow occupants to escape to ground level during a fire emergency.

Because you can't put a price tag on safety, all residential rental units should be equipped with the emergency equipment that is required by law. Tenants will surely appreciate it should the need ever arise.

For more in-depth information on home safety equipment for rental units, please visit The Landlord's Library book collection. It's a great "one-stop" resource that will surely maximize your success as a residential landlord.