Check electrical circuits, brakers go bad over time, see if anything has been added like extension cords strung through the garage off one circuit or the wrong cord strung outside to a patio. I had a tenant take out a GFI outlet and tape an extension cord to the wiring because it kept tripping! This is critical in older homes as some still have 120 amp service and knob and tube wiring! Make sure nothing is lying on the knob and tube wiring in an attic as well, keeping the wiring runs free of anything that could fall or lean against wiring.
Check electrical circuits, brakers go bad over time, see if anything has been added like extension cords strung through the garage off one circuit or the wrong cord strung outside to a patio. I had a tenant take out a GFI outlet and tape an extension cord to the wiring because it kept tripping! This is critical in older homes as some still have 120 amp service and knob and tube wiring! Make sure nothing is lying on the knob and tube wiring in an attic as well, keeping the wiring runs free of anything that could fall or lean against wiring.
Inspect furnace exhaust vents. They rust and fail over time. If they fail badly, your furnace or water heater will be pumping CO into the home.
It's wise to install a CO detector in every home.
As a side note for those with knob and tube. Guess rats prefer the plastic on newer wiring and knob and tube not so tasty. Have modern circuit breakers with knob and tube.
Of course we had that poster that had a child scorched when children were playing in tub with a water tank set at a too high temperature.
This property had an alarm system that was supposed to warn of carbon monoxide and smoke . neither indicated a warning when the system was checked. I will make sure going forward I provide a carbon monoxide and smoke detector as a back up even if I have a hard wired system.
I can handle losing a house but would never get over a loss of life.
First you have to make sure that you have a smoke alarm installed in each bedroom, and on each level (including basement and attic if attic is used for anything). Even on a level that is all bedrooms, a smoke alarm is required in the hallway in addition to all of the bedrooms.
Originally posted by Jeff Sielicky:
...
Checking dryer vents, replacing plastic with metal.
...
Replacing plastic with metal is a good start. When metal is used for the dryer vent ductwork, the joints between metal sections are NOT to be held together with screws; screws protruding into the dryer ductwork will trap lint. And of course cleaning lint out of the exhaust ductwork is a good practice too.
Fire extinguishers. In one town near me they require a rating of 3-A: 40-B:C, so I just use that type everywhere now (other areas likely to copycat, and the few extra dollars upfront aren't going to kill me).
GFCI in all areas where water can be normally found; bathroom, kitchen, laundry, garage, all outdoor outlets, etc.
AFCI in bedrooms (mandatory by code in some areas).
Address numbers on the house that contrast with the background (how will 911 find you otherwise).
All bedrooms MUST have a window that goes to outside and is sized to allow for a person to escape.
Locksets - no double-keyed deadbolts, where a key is needed on the inside as well as the outside (I only use those locks during rehab, where nobody is supposed to be sleeping).
Railings and handrails.
Identify the water shut-off valve by the water meter so that the tenants know how to shut off water in an emergency.
Code varies from area but here a smoke detector is required within X feet of a bedroom door so this makes 1 detector per floor. There is a city by here where this isn't true.
Some people go detector crazy which gives the tenants more batteries to take and during inspections all detectors most work so we keep it to the min. All it takes is one of the uneeded detectors not to work and its a failed inspection.
AFCI breakers are only required in new construction in bedrooms, currently. If you pull a permit on a rehab they will probaly make you have them. There pricey little guys.