Smoothing Out Annual Fire Inspections with Key Condo

Annual fire inspections are often a friction point for condo residents because access requirements can be disruptive. Key Condo’s annual fire inspection process minimizing costs and disruption for residents and our condo boards. 

The first and best thing we can do to reduce confusion and frustration for residents is to properly communicate when a fire inspection has been scheduled. Key Condo sends three notices about a scheduled annual fire inspection: the first approximately a month prior to the inspection, followed by a reminder a week before, and a final notice the day before the inspection. 

We ask in our communications that if residents cannot be home that they please provide their key to a neighbour, or put their spare key in an envelope clearly marked with their unit number and slide the envelope under a common room door, or put their key in a lockbox on their suite door. 

In our communications we remind landlords that they may need to provide their tenants with formal notice of entry, which emphasizes that it is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure access is provided while increasing the likelihood that the landlord passes along the message to their tenant. 

Across all our condos we see 98% of residents provide access voluntarily for the annual fire inspection because of our excellent communication strategy. 

If a unit misses the professional inspection, we will ask them to complete their own visual inspection of their sprinkler heads, smoke alarms, ect. But if a professional inspection is missed for a unit two years in a row, we recommend that the condo board schedule a follow-up inspection at the owner’s expense. However, this is just a suggestion, and Service Alberta allows residents to self-report for up to three consecutive years before a mandatory professional review is enforced.

For units that missed their inspection the previous year, we will call and email that owner when scheduling the current year's inspection to remind them of the importance of providing access.

While annual fire inspections are disruptive for residents, the feedback we receive from owners is that they prefer if every unit is inspected professionally every year for peace of mind. We want to support this as much as possible! 

See below to download the March 2020 Fire Code Bulletin from Service Alberta which clarifies responsibilities for condo boards and owners. Although a qualified professional inspection of each residential unit is only required every four years, if it’s skipped in any unit, the responsibility falls on the condo corporation to collect a written report from the unit owner regarding their own visual inspection. 

March 2020 Fire Code Bulletin from Service Alberta

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Download PDF • 72KB

We think the best way to gain cooperation from residents is to be kind, professional, and consistent in our communications!