The 20-minute pre-walk for a one-unit landlord

If you own one rental, you do not need a program — you need twenty honest minutes with a short list. Test every smoke and CO alarm and read its date. Test the GFCI outlets near water and reset them. Run every faucet and the tub, flush the toilets, and look under both sinks with a flashlight. Open and close every window and confirm it stays up and locks. Check the entry door locks from inside without a key. Run the heat. Photograph each test as you go — those photos are your correction proof and your memory for next year. That is the whole walk, and it covers the items that fail small rentals most often. Small owners: what would you add from your own fail history? — Otto Mergl, Admin