2.5 FIRE EXTINGUISHER

A fire extinguisher is not required by Georgia law, but it probably is required in the fine print of your insurance contract.  Go ahead and buy one at Wal-Mart for less than $20 and install it in the cabinet under the kitchen sink.  Make sure you take a time and date stamped photo of it for your records.

In addition, I always include a PS line at the bottom of all tenant communications that says:

PS:  Please remember to test your smoke detector weekly for proper operation. Smoke detectors save lives!

One more thing, every fall I send out a special FIRE PREVENTION letter to every resident asking them to double check their detectors and to remember fire safety as they approach the holiday season. There is a lot of good information from the National Fire Protection Association, on the web at www.nfpa.org that you can use in your letter.

After I send the letter to the resident, I put a digital copy of the letter in the resident’s permanent digital file.

The purpose of the letter is 1] to help raise awareness among residents so they stay safe, and 2]  for me to be able to demonstrate a “pattern” of responsible management and attention to issues of safety.  

I hope I never need to use those copies, but they might come in very handy if I was ever sued after a fire.