Apartment fires are a nightmare for landlords and tenants alike.
Smoke detectors are a must-have safety feature for every rental property.
Despite the risk, some tenants take it upon themselves to disable the smoke detectors, typically the one near the kitchen that may go off while cooking a meal. If tragedy strikes, it’s too late to prevent injury to tenants or damage to the property.
Avoid this risk by including language in your tenancy agreement or house rules prohibiting disabling of smoke detectors.
Inspect and test the detectors during each routine property inspection.
Consider placing a small warning sticker near the detector reminding tenants that by removing batteries or disconnecting wires, they are breaking the law.
Keep track of the schedule for battery changes.
Require tenants to report low batteries or other defects in the detectors.
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Disclaimer: The information provided in this post in not intended to be construed as legal advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for obtaining individual legal counsel or consulting your local, state, federal or provincial tenancy laws.
