Requirements

• A fire inspector usually looks for the presence of smoke alarms or fire alarms as required by state law. This may mean they have to be in certain rooms, such as the kitchen and bedrooms, or within so many feet of them. You may be required to have one alarm for a set number of square feet in the apartment or one on every floor tenants use. A fire inspection also will check for clear exits in case of fire; they may require one or two clear exits. Some fire codes specify that all windows and doors in the building must work freely.
  
  

Time Frame

• Fire inspections for rental properties often take place every so many years. In larger cities, it may be five or even 10 years before another inspection is required, as there are more apartments to inspect. In smaller towns, you may find that fire inspection is required every three years, every two years or possibly annually. A fire inspection itself may take anywhere from five minutes to a half-hour, depending on the size, type and condition of the building.
  
  

Responsibilities

• Depending on your location and the terms of your lease, the responsibility may rest with the landlord to have the property current with fire code, or it may rest with the tenant. In some municipalities, the landlord is charged a time-based rate for how long the fire inspector must spend at each property, which could be by the hour or by the minute. It's usually practical for the landlord and tenant to work together to arrange a time for inspection and make sure any problems are fixed beforehand, to avoid fines, citations or extra-time charges. However, tenants should be aware that in most states, neither the landlord nor the fire inspector can enter their apartment without either their presence and prior consent or their permission to conduct the inspection while they are not home.
  
  

Controversy

• Not everyone agrees that rental fire inspections are good. Some argue that the inspection process puts a heavy burden on landlords and infringes on tenants' right to privacy, such as the viewpoints published at RentalInspections.com. Health, fire and safety officials, including the Home Safety Council, contned that the inspections prevent slumlords from letting their properties degrade too badly and that inspections are essential to fire prevention.
  
  

Researching

• To be certain of what your local statutes are, consult your local housing, building or fire codes or your landlord-tenant laws. Some fire inspection requirements are found within home-inspection laws, health codes or housing maintenance laws, as well. Sometimes, municipalities put these online for easy access, but sometimes you must request a copy in writing from a city, county or state official. If you are really unable to find a copy of the applicable rules for fire inspections at a rental property, try calling or emailing the local fire department that would conduct the inspection. They may be able to provide more information and assistance.