A home fire develops faster than most people think. Within a few minutes, a small fire can turn into a life-threatening situation – especially at night when everyone is sleeping. Especially in fitter apartments, where several people live at the same time and often don’t know each other well, the topic of fire protection is particularly relevant. Anyone who knows what to do in an emergency, where the escape routes are and which protective measures must be available is better prepared. And anyone who knows and fulfills their obligations as a landlord not only protects their tenants, but also their property. This overview explains the most important basics of fire protection in rental apartments – understandable and without unnecessary technical jargon.
Smoke detector – compulsory in all federal states
The most important and at the same time the simplest contribution to fire protection in apartments is the smoke detector. In Germany, smoke detectors are required by law in all federal states – but with slightly different specifications depending on the country. Basically, the following applies: smoke detectors must be installed in all bedrooms, children’s rooms and corridors, which lead to escape routes. In Baden-Württemberg, where many fitter apartments are in the Stuttgart area and the surrounding area, the smoke detector obligation has been binding for all apartments since 2015.
The landlord is responsible for installation and maintenance. Tenants are usually responsible for not damaging the devices and informing the landlord if a detector does not work. A simple function test is done quickly: If you press the test button on the device and hear a signal tone, you can be sure that the detector basically works. If you find out when you move into a fitter’s accommodation that smoke detectors are missing or are obviously defective, you should report this to the landlord immediately.
Where smoke detectors must be appropriate
The exact positioning of the smoke detectors is crucial for their effectiveness. The following basic rules apply:
- Install the smoke detector in the middle of the ceiling – smoke collects there first
- Maintain minimum distance of 50 centimeters to walls and corners
- Do not install in the kitchen or bathroom – steam and cooking vapors trigger false alarms
- Install several detectors in long corridors so that the entire escape route is covered
If you live in a fitter’s apartment with several rooms, you should briefly check whether there is an detector in every bedroom. This takes less than two minutes and can save lives in an emergency.
Know and keep escape routes
Warn smoke detectors – but they only save lives if the residents also know how to safely leave the building. Especially in fitter accommodation, where tenants change frequently and don’t know the building as well as long-term tenants, a brief orientation when moving in is important.
The primary escape route in an apartment building is the stairwell. It is usually designed as a fire compartment and will stop fire and smoke for a certain amount of time. In the event of a fire, never use the elevator, but always the stairwell. Close doors behind you – do not lock – to slow the spread of fire and smoke.
Escape routes must not be blocked
A common problem in apartment buildings: corridors and stairwells are used as storage space. Bicycles, boxes, shoes or tools in the stairwell are not only an administrative offense, but a real safety risk. In the event of a fire, even a single obstacle can cause people to stumble and lose valuable seconds.
Especially with fitter accommodation for working columns, where several people move in at the same time and bring a lot of luggage and equipment, there is a risk that corridors will be temporarily delivered. This should be clearly regulated from the start: Escape routes always remain free – without exception.
Causes of fire in everyday living
The most common causes of home fires are not dramatic events, but everyday carelessness. Anyone who knows the typical sources of risk can take specific countermeasures.
The most common causes of fire in apartments include:
- Unsupervised stovetops or cooking operations – the most common cause of fire in apartments
- Overloaded multiple sockets and defective electrical cables
- Improperly disposed of cigarette butts, especially on balconies
- Candles left unattended
- Defective or overheated electrical devices such as charging cables or fan heaters
In a fitter’s apartment where several people share the kitchen, the risk of unattended hotplates is particularly high. If you cook and leave the room – even only briefly – you should switch off the stovetops. That sounds natural, but is often forgotten in hectic everyday life.
Fire extinguisher and fire blankets
Fire extinguishers are mandatory in many commercially used buildings – but not in general in private rental apartments. Nevertheless, it makes sense that at least in the kitchen of a fitter’s apartment there is a fire extinguisher or a fire blanket. A fire blanket is particularly useful for small grease fires on the stove, since water is expressly not allowed to be used in such situations – it would allow the fire to spread suddenly.
If you use an existing fire extinguisher as a tenant, you should then inform the landlord so that the device can be filled or replaced.
What to do in the event of a fire?
In an emergency, every second counts. The most important rules of conduct are simple and should be known to every resident: keep calm, warn other residents, call the fire brigade under 112 and leave the building immediately. Close doors on the way out, but don’t lock them. Never return to a smoky apartment to fetch items.
For companies that book fitter accommodation for employees, it makes sense to communicate these basic rules in advance. Because who knows what to do in the event of a fire, acts faster and safer – and that can literally save lives in a fitter’s accommodation where several people sleep at the same time.