A safety check in your first week in a rental

In an apartment, you need to know how to get out quickly if a fire starts, and the alarms have to be working to give you the time. Do these checks in your first week, before the boxes are unpacked and the furniture is in place.

The alarms

• Test each smoke alarmPress the test button on each one. After this week, test them every month.
• Look for one inside each sleeping roomA smoke alarm belongs inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level.
• Look for a carbon monoxide alarmOne belongs near every sleeping area, with a battery or battery backup. Check its batteries when the clocks change each spring and fall.
• Tell the manager about any alarm that seems wrongDo the same for a damaged fire extinguisher or a burned-out emergency light in the building.

The way out

• Find the exits and stairs on your floor
• Count the doors to the nearest exitMemorize the number in case you have to find the exit in the dark.
• Learn the building's evacuation planIf it has one, then make an escape plan for your own apartment. A renter's emergency plan walks through it.

The kitchen

• Check the range's anti-tip bracketThe bracket should be attached securely to the wall or floor, with the range held firmly in it. Tell the manager if the bracket is missing. Checking that the range has its anti-tip bracket shows how.
• Find the fire extinguisherMake sure nothing blocks it. Many have a gauge that shows when the pressure is too high or too low.

Heat and laundry

• Clear 3 feet around anything that heatsKeep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from radiators, space heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves and candles.
• Check that the dryer has its lint filterNever run the dryer without one, and clean it before and after each cycle.
• Look at the dryer ventCheck that the vent behind the dryer isn't damaged, crushed or blocked, and tell the manager if it is.
• Keep fuel-burning gear outsideNever run a generator inside, even with the doors and windows open. Never burn charcoal or use a portable gas camp stove indoors.