Fire safety checklist for apartment building owners
In an apartment fire, what residents do in the first minute matters as much as the alarms. This checklist covers the building and the people in it. Fire codes differ by city, so check yours.
The building
- Exit and stairwell doors clearly marked, never locked or blocked by security bars, and clear of clutter.
- Smoke alarms on every level of each home, tested at every move-in. Replace them 10 years after the date they were made.
- CO alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas in homes with fuel burning appliances or attached garages.
- Heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a professional.
- If the building has no sprinklers, consider them. Ask a fire protection professional what it would take.
The plan
Residents should know your building's fire alarm, how announcements work, where every exit stair is, and whether to leave or stay in their unit when the alarm sounds. Put it in writing, and tell every new tenant.
What every resident should know
- Use the stairs, not the elevator, unless the fire department says otherwise.
- Feel the door before opening it, and close doors behind them.
- Sleep with the bedroom door closed.
- Never leave cooking alone, and give space heaters 3 feet.
- Don't charge e-bikes or scooters overnight.
SaferResident teaches all of this to every resident in a 20 minute phone course about your building, and gives you a certificate for each unit.
Teach it once, for every tenant. SaferResident sends each tenant a 20 minute phone course built around your building, with reminders, and gives you a certificate for every unit. $2 per unit per month, billed once a year as $24 per unit. Free for the first 60 days.
Sources
- High-rise Apartment and Condominium Safety (tip sheet, PDF), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- Escape Plan Guide: High-Rise Apartment (PDF), UL Research Institutes, Fire Safety Research Institute (UL FSRI)
- Home Fires, Ready.gov (FEMA)
- Learn More About Smoke Alarms, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- Carbon Monoxide Information Center, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
- Heating Fire Safety, U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA)
- Close Your Door: Close Before You Doze, UL Research Institutes, Fire Safety Research Institute (UL FSRI)
- Safety with cooking equipment, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- Micromobility: E-Bikes, E-Scooters and Hoverboards, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
Updated October 1, 2026. General safety information. It doesn't replace your building's safety systems, local codes or your lease. In an emergency, call 911.