Owners & management · Deals & development · 10/22/2026
NYC apartment fire safety: a checklist of landlord and tenant duties
Brick Underground republished its fire safety checklist for NYC apartment buildings. Landlords must provide at least one smoke detector, which tenants maintain, and keep self-closing doors working. Failed doors played a role in a 2022 Bronx fire that killed 17. The article says Local Law 11 requires fire escape inspections every five years in buildings six stories or higher.
Reported by Brick UndergroundRead the original ↗
What happened
Brick Underground published a fire safety checklist for New York City apartment buildings on October 22, 2026. The outlet notes it is a rerun of an article first published in October 2025. The checklist has five items: a working smoke detector, a fire safety plan, self-closing doors, a fire escape that is inspected and kept clear, and knowing the closest exits.
According to the article, landlords must provide at least one smoke detector in each apartment, and tenants must maintain it, including checking batteries. Residents can also request a free smoke alarm through a partnership between FDNY and the Red Cross by filling out a request form. The article says the NYC fire code does not require fire extinguishers except where fuel-burning equipment, such as a hot water heater, is installed. It says FDNY advises people to leave the building during a fire rather than try to put it out.
The article says landlords must issue a fire and emergency preparedness guide each year. A copy should be posted in the apartment, usually on a door, and in common areas. Landlords of multi-family buildings must provide stove knob covers or permanent safety knobs where children under six live, and must also provide them if a tenant asks. Self-closing doors are required in residential buildings with three or more apartments. The article points to a 2022 Bronx high-rise fire where safety doors failed to close and 17 people died.
On fire escapes, Brick Underground reports that Local Law 11 requires landlords in buildings six stories or higher to have them inspected every five years. It says newer buildings have no fire escapes because of a 1968 building code change. Those buildings must instead have exit stairwells with alarms and sprinklers. The article warns residents not to use elevators during a fire and not to use fire escapes for storage or drying clothes.
Key facts
- Outlet
- Brick Underground
- Date
- Published October 22, 2026; first ran October 2025
- Smoke detectors
- Landlord provides at least one per apartment; tenant maintains it
- Free smoke alarm
- Available through an FDNY and Red Cross partnership by request form
- Annual guide
- Landlord must issue a fire and emergency preparedness guide each year and post it in apartments and common areas
- Stove knob covers
- Required in multi-family buildings where children under six live, or on tenant request
- Self-closing doors
- Required in residential buildings with three or more apartments
- Fire escape inspections
- Every five years in buildings six stories or higher, under Local Law 11, per the article
What it means
Landlords
Owners should confirm each unit has a smoke detector, the annual fire and emergency preparedness guide is distributed and posted, and self-closing doors swing shut and latch. Owners of multi-family buildings should be ready to provide stove knob covers or safety knobs when a child under six lives in a unit or when a tenant asks.
Tenants and voucher holders
Tenants are responsible for keeping their smoke detector working and their fire escape clear. They can test their apartment door by pushing it open and checking that it closes and latches on its own, and they should tell the landlord right away if a fire escape looks unsafe.
Caseworkers
When helping clients move into or settle in an apartment, caseworkers can use this checklist to check for a working smoke detector, a posted emergency guide and a self-closing door. Families with children under six can be told they are entitled to stove knob covers or safety knobs.
The highlights
- Self-closing doors are required in buildings with three or more apartments.
- Landlords must give tenants a fire and emergency preparedness guide every year.
- Owners must supply stove knob covers if a child under six lives there, or on request.
Why it matters Landlords
Owners have clear duties on smoke detectors, self-closing doors, annual safety guides and stove knob covers that tenants can check.
What to do: Test every self-closing door and confirm this year's fire safety guide is posted.
Not known yet
- What penalties landlords face for missing smoke detectors, faulty self-closing doors or a missing annual guide
- Which city agency tenants should contact if a landlord does not fix a fire safety problem
- Whether any of these rules have changed since the article first ran in October 2025
- Where to find the FDNY and Red Cross smoke alarm request form and how long installation takes
Background
In New York City, fire safety rules for apartment buildings come from both the fire code, which FDNY enforces, and the Housing Maintenance Code and building code. HPD enforces the Housing Maintenance Code and DOB enforces the building code. Tenants can usually report hazardous conditions through 311, which routes complaints to the right agency for inspection. Violations found during inspections can lead to orders to correct the condition and, in some cases, penalties for the owner.
Summary written by Bulwark from Brick Underground’s reporting. The original story is at brickunderground.com. This is general information, not legal advice.
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Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0