Safety essentials For Your Apartment
When you think of apartment safety, you probably first think of security such as a well-lit parking lot, security doors, an entrance code, etc. However, the most important safety features of your apartment are inside your unit. In Ohio, landlords are responsible for providing and repairing smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors to residents. In addition, you may want to purchase a personal fire extinguisher for your apartment, which will augment fire extinguishers located in common areas on the property. Keeping a fire extinguisher in the kitchen isn’t a bad idea.
There are battery-operated, electronic, and hard-wired smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that your landlord can choose from, and usually, they will opt for battery-powered models, especially in new buildings. You can check your lease to determine if property management or residents are responsible for testing the detectors and changing the batteries. A good practice is to test and change the batteries in your smoke and CO detectors in April and November when you set your clock to adapt to Daylight Saving Time.
The fire and CO detector should be placed in central areas on all floors of your apartment or condo, such as hallways, but not too close to the kitchen or bathrooms. Who hasn’t set off their smoke detector when they’ve burned something on the stove? Likewise, a CO detector placed too close to the bathroom will be triggered by the humidity from a hot shower. Excess humidity during the summer can also set off CO detectors. If you live in a building that has a gas stove or natural gas heating, or just want added peace of mind, consider a plug-in CO monitor. You may have to purchase this yourself, but they aren’t costly and are more reliable than battery-operated models.
Your health and safety are important, so don’t overlook these important lifesavers that are easy to take for granted. As always, make sure to check your lease and consult with your property manager if you have questions about their apartment safety protocols.
Explore a Vision Community Apartment
At Vision Communities, we provide you the space that you can make your own where you feel safe and secure. Our floor plans are spacious and bedrooms come with spacious closet space. Our property management teams work hard to create living spaces that are headache-free and places you’ll want to come home to. We have floor plans that provide your personal space and spacious common areas for you to hang out with your roommate and friends. Our spacious, studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 3 bedroom apartment layouts provide cozy space. Check out our luxurious apartment floorplans in one of our communities and enjoy life at the VC.
Schedule a tour today and see why Vision Communities is a great place to live.