A fire safety checklist for your NYC apartment building
- Space heaters, extension cords, and smoking are leading causes of apartment fires
- Your landlord must provide at least one smoke detector but you must maintain it
- Self-closing doors are required in all residential buildings with three or more units
Fire escapes are not for storage or drying clothes—they are your way out in case of a fire, so keep them clear.
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It shouldn't take hearing about a devastating fire to prompt you to check safety measures in your own New York City apartment building, but that's often what spurs people to act.
With so many tragic outcomes when there’s a serious fire—death, injury, displacement, and loss of personal possessions—it is important to take some preventative steps. Even small fires can have major consequences, because residents can be barred from returning home for extended periods and sometimes be victims of theft in their damaged properties.
So how can you make sure your apartment building is taking fire prevention seriously? The first step is knowing some of the main causes of residential fires—and making sure your landlord is following safety procedures.
[Editor's note: A previous version of the article ran in October 2025. We are presenting it again in case you missed it.]
Read on for a checklist for fire safety measures in a New York City apartment building.
Does your smoke detector work?
Your landlord is required to provide at least one smoke detector in your apartment but you must maintain it. You should periodically check to make sure the batteries are not dead. Some alarms have a blinking light or sound if the batteries are dead so don’t ignore those warnings. And don’t be the person who disconnects your sensitive detector because it's triggered by your cooking.
You can also request to have a smoke alarm installed in your apartment for free through a partnership between FDNY and the Red Cross. You will need to fill out a request form.
Regarding fire extinguishers: NYC fire code doesn’t require them except for where fuel-burning equipment is installed, like a hot water heater. Why? FDNY advice to leave the building during a fire, not try to extinguish it yourself.
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What is the safety plan?
NYC fire code requires your landlord to issue a copy of a fire and emergency preparedness guide each year. A copy should also be posted in your apartment (usually on a door) and in common areas. It details what you should do in the event of a fire, like call 911 and evacuate.
Your building might also include specific fire safety measures and protocols in your lease or house rules. Another tip: If there are children under six living in your apartment, landlords of multi-family buildings are required to provide either stove knob covers or permanent safety knobs. You might also want these if you have hyperactive cats who might accidentally turn on your gas stove (we're speaking from experience). Owners must also provide either device if the tenant requests them—even if you don't have a child under the age of six.
Are there self-closing doors?
Self-closing doors are required in all residential buildings with three or more apartments. If the doors function correctly, they work as a barrier and cut off oxygen to stop the spread of the fire. If they aren’t maintained, they can be deadly. That was the case in a 2022 Bronx high-rise fire where safety doors failed to close and 17 people died.
How can you tell if your door closes the right way? If you push the door open, it should swing back and close on its own. You should hear a click and a latch.
Is your fire escape safe to use?
Your fire escape isn’t a place for you to dry clothes or use for storage. It’s actually your exit if there’s a fire and you can’t make it through the building—so it’s important to keep it clear.
Fire escapes are covered by Local Law 11, which requires your landlord to have them inspected every five years if you live in a building six stories or higher. If your fire escape seems unsafe for any reason, you should contact your landlord immediately.
Where is the closest exit?
If you live in a new building, there are no fire escapes as result of a 1968 building code change. Instead your building is required to have exit stairwells with alarms and sprinklers. So make sure you and everyone who lives in your apartment knows the easiest and quickest way to get out of the building.
Remember: You should not use an elevator during a fire. Flames can damage a building's electrical system and short-circuit the elevator, trapping you inside. Toxic smoke can fill an elevator shaft quickly. Need we say more? Take the stairs—they are quicker and safer.
