Conducting Property Inspections

Fire safety checks can easily be included during your inspection of the building. Since an unsafe condition in a tenant’s apartment can affect other tenants, it is crucial the condition be corrected. Questions about specific problems can be addressed by contacting the Bellingham Fire Prevention Bureau at (360) 676-6832.

The Bellingham Fire Department tries to include all apartment buildings and congregate residences (5 or more non-related people) in an annual inspection of the property. The fire department tries to gain access to common areas such as furnace rooms, laundry rooms, halls, and storage areas. Try to leave these areas unlocked if possible. The fire department is looking for such problems as non-working smoke alarms, non- maintained fire extinguishers, unnecessary combustibles, blocked exits, addressing, operable windows in sleeping rooms, and combustibles in furnace rooms etc.

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