Free to print and share
Move-in safety checklist for tenants
Twelve things to find and check in the first week in a new home. Landlords can print it for a move-in packet or send the link. Every point comes from a public safety source.
Find the water shutoffs. Sinks and toilets usually have a small valve on the pipe below them, and washing machines and water heaters usually have one too. Find the main shutoff for the home as well. Turn a valve once to make sure it moves. Source: Lakeway Municipal Utility District, Texas , San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Look behind the washer and the fridge. Check the washer hoses and the ice maker line for cracks or leaks. If you see water under the fridge, around the water heater or in a drain pan, tell your landlord right away. Source: Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety Test every smoke alarm. Press the test button once a month. A chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low. Tell your landlord if an alarm chirps, doesn't sound or looks damaged. Source: National Fire Protection Association Check for a carbon monoxide alarm. CO is a poisonous gas you can't see or smell. It can come from furnaces, gas stoves, fireplaces, generators and cars. Test CO alarms once a month. If one sounds, get everyone outside, then call 911. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Know two ways out of every room. A window can be one of them. Pick a meeting place outside, like a mailbox or a light post, and practice the plan twice a year. Source: National Fire Protection Association Sleep with the bedroom door closed. A closed door slows smoke and flames and gives you more time to get out. Source: UL Research Institutes, Fire Safety Research Institute Find the electrical panel. Know where it is so you can tell maintenance which breaker tripped. Tell your landlord if breakers trip often, lights flicker or an outlet feels warm. Source: National Fire Protection Association Give space heaters 3 feet. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away, plug heaters straight into a wall outlet, and turn them off when you leave the room or go to bed. Source: U.S. Fire Administration , U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Neighborhood Safety Network Clean the dryer lint filter every load. Not cleaning dryers is the leading cause of dryer fires. Source: National Fire Protection Association , U.S. Fire Administration Charge e-bikes and scooters where you can see them. Never charge one while you sleep or when you're out, and use the charger that came with it. Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission , National Fire Protection Association If the home has gas, know what to do. If you smell gas, leave right away without switching anything on or off, then call 911 or the gas company from outside. Source: National Fire Protection Association Save the right numbers. Fire, smoke, a gas smell, a CO alarm or anyone hurt is a 911 call. Save your building's after hours maintenance number for urgent problems that aren't dangerous. Source: National 911 Program, NHTSA Office of EMS
Print this checklist The 20 minute course that covers all of this
General safety information. It doesn't replace your building's safety systems, local fire code or your lease.