Smoke detector tip for ALL landlords

[Ed O.]

@ the conference, I disucussed with a few landlords my ans to convert all smoke detectors over to the ones with a 10 year battery. I didn't realize how rock bottom cheap they are. Any landlord with a little experience has gone to a rental to hear a chirp chirp or a see many smoke detectors with covers off and batteries out.
Also, I recently learned that many smoke detectors direct you to discard them after 10 years!
So, you can buy them for 5-10 a pop with a standard 9 volt battery, or buy the long life, 10 year ones for $12 and change.
http://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-SA305CN-Lithium-Battery/dp/B000BD8LTS/
This is a link to see them for yourself.

If you go this route, write the date about 10 years out on the cover (visable from the floor) of the smoke detector so you know when it's time to change them in 10 years.

Smoke kills people in their sleep and somehow it's the landlord's fault in some court's eyes when people die and the smoke detectors have dead batteries.

[Nathan Emmert]

Hmm... I need to check with a local lawyer... I had written into my lease that consumable things like batteries and light bulbs were the tenants responsibility to change. Wonder if that covers me or not.

Regardless, those 10 year do-dads seem like a good idea.