Property Safety Inspection Checklist

Walk every extinguisher on the property and check the annual service tag — NFPA 10 requires inspection by a licensed company every 12 months, and tags older than that fail the audit. Confirm the pressure gauge sits in the green zone and the pin and tamper seal are intact. Note any units missing from their bracket.

Open a work order with the property's licensed extinguisher vendor (Cintas, Koorsen, or local equivalent). Replacement runs $50-150 per ABC unit; recharge is cheaper but only if the cylinder still passes hydrostatic testing — required every 5-12 years per NFPA 10 depending on cylinder type.

Press and hold the test button on each unit until it sounds; replace any that fail to sound or whose chirp indicates low battery. Most states require working smoke and CO detectors on every floor and outside sleeping areas — log the test date and battery replacement on the inspection sheet so it's defensible if a habitability claim ever arises.

Open every marked exit and confirm it swings freely from the inside without a key. Push the test button on illuminated EXIT signs and battery-backup egress fixtures and confirm at least 90 seconds of operation per NFPA 101. Clear any obstructions in egress paths — stored items in stairwells are the most-cited fire-marshal violation.

Look for scorching, loose plates, and frayed extension cords. Document any outlet warm to the touch or showing arcing — these are electrician work orders, not in-house fixes, and they need to come off line until a licensed tech clears them.

NEC requires GFCI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry, garages, and exterior outlets. Press TEST, confirm power cuts, then RESET. Any outlet that won't reset, or that resets without tripping under test, is a hazard.

Failed GFCIs are typically a $15 device plus a $75-150 electrician visit. Tag the outlet 'do not use' until repaired. If a tenant occupies the unit, notify them in writing and document the date — habitability claims hinge on documented response time.

NEC §110.26 requires 30 inches of clearance in front of every panel — no stored boxes, no shelving, no tenant belongings. Verify each breaker is labeled to the circuit it controls; unlabeled panels are an instant flag during a fire-marshal or insurance inspection.

Cycle every common-entry lock, deadbolt, and key-fob reader; note any sticking, play in the strike plate, or doors that don't fully self-close. Confirm the master key list matches current occupancy — orphaned keys after turnover are a recurring liability gap.

Pull up the DVR or cloud NVR and confirm at least 14-30 days of footage retention per the firm's policy. Walk each camera's view in the live feed and confirm coverage of entry points, mailroom, parking lot, and trash enclosure — these are the four areas claims typically reference.

Schedule this pass for after sunset — daytime checks miss burned-out fixtures and dead photocells. Photometric coverage matters most at parking lots, walkways, and entry vestibules; dim or dark areas drive premises-liability claims and tenant complaints.

Check P-traps, supply lines, and shutoff valves for moisture. Soft drywall, warped baseboards, or musty odor near plumbing are early signs of slow leaks — open a plumbing work order before mold takes hold and triggers a much larger remediation invoice.

Lift the temperature-pressure relief valve briefly and confirm flow to the discharge pipe; failed TPR valves are a known tank-rupture risk. Set the thermostat to 120°F — higher creates scald liability, lower creates Legionella risk.

Pour a bucket of water into the sump pit and confirm the pump kicks on and the float resets. Backflow preventers (RPZ devices) require annual certification by a licensed tester in most jurisdictions — confirm the certification tag is current and file the most recent test report.

Look for water stains, settlement cracks, soft spots, and trip hazards. Ceiling stains often indicate roof or upstairs-unit leaks — trace the source rather than just patching, because a painted-over stain that returns is also a paper trail of negligence.

IRC requires handrails on stairs of 4+ risers, between 34 and 38 inches high, and guardrails at 36-42 inches with balusters under 4 inches apart. Wobbly rails and missing balusters are the single most common premises-liability failure point in residential portfolios.

Cycle every window and exterior door. Egress windows in sleeping rooms must open from the inside without tools or special knowledge per IRC R310 — painted-shut windows fail this test and create a fire-code violation that's also a habitability claim.

Document cracks wider than ½ inch and any vertical displacement over ¼ inch — both are recognized trip-hazard thresholds. ADA-compliant curb ramps and accessible parking spaces must remain unobstructed and properly striped.

Look for limbs over walkways, roots lifting concrete, and dead trees within fall distance of structures or parked cars. Once a known tree hazard is documented in writing, hazard insurance typically excludes claims arising from it — schedule the arborist promptly.

Pool fences must be self-closing and self-latching with the latch above 54 inches per CPSC and most state codes. Playground impact-attenuating surfacing must extend 6 feet beyond equipment in all directions. Inspect fitness-room cables, pins, and emergency stop tethers.

Confirm a current Safety Data Sheet exists for every chemical used on site — pool chemicals, cleaners, paint, pesticides, ice melt. OSHA HazCom requires the binder be accessible to any employee within their shift; the standard location is the maintenance shop with a duplicate at the leasing office.

Spill kits should be located within 50 feet of any chemical storage area. Eyewash stations need weekly flushing logs per ANSI Z358.1. Confirm gloves, splash goggles, and respirators are stocked in sizes that match the maintenance team currently on payroll.

The federal RRP Rule applies to any disturbance of more than 6 sq ft of interior or 20 sq ft of exterior painted surfaces in pre-1978 buildings. Confirm the latest asbestos survey is on file before any planned renovation, and verify the federal lead-paint disclosure is in every active tenant file.

Rate each finding by severity: Critical (immediate hazard, fix today), Major (work order, fix within 7 days), Minor (track and address at next make-ready), or None. Attach photos for every finding so the work order has visual context for the vendor and the owner.

Critical findings — live electrical hazards, gas leaks, structural failure, missing fire-life-safety systems — get same-day vendor dispatch through the on-call list. Notify the property owner and any affected tenants in writing within 24 hours; the written notice is what protects the firm if the issue causes harm before the repair completes.

Save the signed inspection report in AppFolio, Buildium, or the firm's property file and update the next-inspection date on the calendar. Most carriers, lenders, and HOA bylaws require annual or semi-annual safety inspection records on demand — a missing report can void coverage at the worst time.