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Landlord Fire Code liability

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jwa9681

Junior Member
I'm about to buy a place for a rental unit in Salt Lake Utah and have a question about my liability in terms of fire. The place is currently advertised as a 5 bed, however 2 beds are downstairs and clearly don't have an easy means of egress. It's a basement with high windows that are small and 4-5' off the ground.

Am I liable if I advertise this as a 5 bedroom and in the event of a fire someone gets injured?

Can I get around this by only advertising the upstairs 3 beds for rental? Do I need to enforce no one living/sleeping downstairs? Do I need a separate statement from the tenant expressing their consent to this? Are there any other ways around this or concerns I should have prior to purchasing/renting this place?

Thanks!!
 


Hot Topic

Senior Member
Why don't you contact the local fire department and ask what the regulations are? You could also call the local housing department about any requirements about how the place should be advertised in order to abide by any of those regulations.
 

justalayman

Senior Member
if you advertise or allow the basement to be used as sleeping quarters and it does not meet the legal requirements, should there be any injuries, you will likely face not only a hefty civil suit but likely criminal charges as well.


If the space cannot legally be considered sleeping quarters, there is no waiver a tenant could sign to make it legal.
 

John_DFW

Member
You should contact the city building inspector to inquire, and also ask if a certificate of occupancy is required. The certificate of occupancy usually requires an inspection to be made.

Fire marshals typically only cover multifamily dwellings and not single family residences in terms of required inspections.

If it is determined to not be a legal bedroom, make sure that the lease clearly spells out that the unit is 3 bedrooms, and that the downstairs units are not to be used for overnight sleeping.
 

John_DFW

Member
You could invest in some updates, like making the windows bigger, to allow for quick exit in case of fire.
I would get a rough estimate of cost and take that into consideration for the offer.

Since this is a basement, the cost will likely be higher than an above ground window.
 

jwa9681

Junior Member
It would be costly, and it's bank owned, so no chance of getting a reduction.

Thanks for the comments everyone, I will contact the local officials before making an offer.
 

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