What fire code and life-safety requirements should I check before buying a multi-unit rental property?

Multi-unit residential buildings face fire code and life-safety requirements that scale with the number of units and occupants, generally including working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, proper fire separation between units, and adequate means of egress in case of an emergency. These standards exist to protect occupants in a building where multiple households live under one roof, and they are treated more seriously the more units and people are involved.

Before buying, ask the seller for any fire inspection reports or records of compliance orders, and consider contacting the local fire department or building department directly to ask whether there are any open orders or known issues connected to the property. Unresolved fire code problems can be costly to fix and, in some circumstances, can restrict how many units can legally be occupied until corrected, which directly affects both the property's value and your rental income as the new owner. This is a due diligence step worth completing before conditions are waived, not something to address only after you already own the building.