E-bike and scooter batteries in rentals: what landlords can do
E-bikes and e-scooters are now common in apartments. The CPSC has seen many lithium-ion battery home fires and deaths happen at night, while batteries were charging and families were asleep.
What to tell tenants
- Be present while it charges. Never charge it while you sleep or when nobody is home.
- Use the charger that came with it, or one the maker recommends.
- Only use replacement batteries tested and approved for that device. Never use a battery that has been modified or rebuilt.
- Unplug it when it's done.
- Stop using a battery that smells, changes shape or color, gets very hot or leaks.
In the building
- Keep exit stairs and hallways clear. Bikes and scooters parked in a stairwell can block the way out.
- Make sure exit and stairwell doors are clearly marked and never locked or blocked.
- Put your rules for charging and storage in writing, and give them to every tenant at move-in.
Teach it once
SaferResident's course covers battery charging, with a quick check at the end, so you know each tenant has seen it.
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
- Micromobility: E-Bikes, E-Scooters and Hoverboards, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
- Lithium-Ion Battery Safety (tip sheet, PDF), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- Lithium-Ion Battery Safety, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- Battery Fire Safety, U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA)
- High-rise Apartment and Condominium Safety (tip sheet, PDF), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
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.