Fire extinguisher care in your state
Hey guys!
Is there a law in your state obligating you as a property owner to check on fire extinguisher at the rental property?
I put a fire extinguisher in each house. I have rentals in six different cities. Only one of them requires a fire extinguisher. They mandate that it be a 210 type, which is the larger size with the hose on it. Last time I bought one, they were $40 at HD and $30 at Lowes for a different looking one.
In the cities that don't require one, I put in the small ABC type that HD sells for about $18. One day, I was at Sam's Club and they had the same kind that I buy in a two pack for $20. I bought all of them.
I highly recomend having one at your rental, whether it's required or not. You never know when one will be needed. When I was a teenager, there was a fire in the basement and I was able to put it out with the fire extinguisher that we had. I now have one on each floor of my house and all of my cars. I look at it as a spare tire or a gun. When you need it, you need it right now.
It's required here in Sacramento CA for my 8plex. I used to put a small one in each of my units but now I maintain and recharge 2 large extinguishers in common hallways. I opted for having paperwork showing I was properly observing fire codes.
It's not required in my area for single family homes. However, like Rob pointed out, it's still a good idea.
With multi-family type properties, the state fire code does mandate that you have them if your property consists of 5 units or more.
They are not required for my units, but I put a small one in each unit just in case.