Whose job is the extinguisher in a rental? Ask a landlord and they'll say the tenant. Ask the tenant and you'll get a blank stare. spectrum fire That muddle is how a cylinder ends up expired on a hallway hook for six years. Settling fire extinguisher services early spares you a squabble, and maybe a lot more.
Who owns the job
Rules vary by location and property type. Houses, apartments and shared homes may all be treated differently. Shared areas in multi-unit buildings typically belong to the owner or manager. Inside a unit, it depends on local rules and the lease. Read your lease. Check local regulations. If neither says anything, put in writing who does what, and when.
Landlord duties
Install suitable units in agreed locations. Book a yearly service. Keep tags and reports. Provide instructions or a quick walk-through at move-in. A cheap unit forgotten in a cupboard shows up in insurance disputes like an uninvited guest. Photos at handover help too.
The tenant's checklist
Know where it is. Check the gauge every month. Don't hide it behind a stack of boxes. Report anything damaged, discharged or missing straight away. Don't pack it when you move out. It sounds silly, but it happens, especially in shared houses where somebody "borrows" the one from the kitchen for a party.
Shared houses and student rentals
Lots of people, lots of cooking, lots of dodgy extension leads. More risk, less attention. Place a unit by the kitchen exit, add a fire blanket, and hold a house meeting so everyone learns to use them. Ten minutes, tops. Somebody will crack jokes. Let them. They'll still remember the demo.
Holiday lets and short stays
Guests don't know your property. They won't know where the exits are or which cupboard hides the unit. Post clear signs inside the door, mark the extinguisher, and add laminated instructions. Every few stays, glance at the gauge and the seal, since curious visitors do play with things.
A paper trail for everyone
Put a date on every service report. Keep copies in a shared folder, or email them to both parties. If a fire ever happens, a clear record protects honest landlords and honest tenants alike. If the unit was missing or out of date, that record gets ugly fast.