Short answer
Denver Fire’s Residential Fire Safety Equipment Report says the occupant or owner of each unit completes the report annually and gives it to the property manager or HOA unless management does the maintenance itself, and that managers must collect a report for every unit each year and keep them on file for three years for Denver Fire inspection. The form also calls for 10-year lithium batteries in battery-powered smoke alarms, tested carbon monoxide alarms, and extinguishers inspected yearly and hydrostatically tested every five years. The building’s own alarm, sprinkler and extinguisher systems are handled by licensed providers like any commercial building.
The residential equipment report
Denver Fire’s inspection page lists multifamily properties, meaning rental apartments and owner-occupied condos, townhomes and HOAs, among the occupancies it inspects, and it says detectors and extinguishers are tested with records kept for inspectors. The form that sets out who does what is the Residential Fire Safety Equipment Report.
| Who or what | What the form says |
|---|---|
| Occupant or owner | Completes the report annually and submits it to the property manager or HOA, unless management does the required maintenance |
| Property manager or HOA administrator | Obtains a report for every unit annually and keeps them on file, ready for Denver Fire inspection, for three years |
| Smoke alarms | Battery-powered alarms use 10-year lithium batteries, required as of January 1, 2019. The test button checks only the power source and horn, so the form points to smoke or a smoke alarm testing spray to test the sensor |
| Carbon monoxide alarms | The form calls for monthly testing and a battery change at least annually |
| Portable extinguishers | Inspected once a year and hydrostatically tested every five years |
The form carries a 2019 date. It also states smoke alarm testing in two places that differ, monthly in one and every six months in another, and it recommends testing in spring and fall when the clocks change. That is a reason to confirm the current version with the Fire Prevention Division at 720-913-3474. The city’s inspection page also links a Smoke Detector Certificate of Compliance that management completes.
Common areas and building systems
The shared systems in an apartment building are inspected the way any commercial property’s are. Denver Fire’s checklist asks for annual inspection of the fire alarm and sprinkler systems with the previous three years of reports on site, a current five-year standpipe flow test where there is a standpipe, fire pump test records, extinguisher tags, working emergency lights and exit signs, and clear fire lanes and fire department connections. The frequency guide lists the intervals.
Smaller buildings are inspected by the local fire station and billed by square footage. High-rise buildings are inspected by Fire Prevention inspectors, and Denver’s July 2026 fee schedule bills them by number of stories:
| Stories | Residential fee |
|---|---|
| 0 to 10 | $245 |
| 11 to 20 | $325 |
| 21 to 30 | $410 |
| 31 or more | $490 |
When the alarm or sprinklers are down in an occupied building
Denver Fire’s fire watch guidelines are written for continually occupied sites that are temporarily without full fire protection, which describes an apartment building during an alarm or sprinkler outage. Reporting the outage, the 10-hour threshold and the fire watch permit are covered in the fire watch guide.
Getting building systems serviced
Call (970) 591-1310 with the property address, the number of buildings, the systems involved and the last inspection reports. Denver Fire Safety coordinates a qualified provider, who is named to you, with scope, timing and price, before you authorize work. The property managers page describes how requests are kept organized across several properties.
Sources and limits
Written from Denver Fire Department’s Residential Fire Safety Equipment Report (dated 02/11/19), inspections page, checklist and July 23, 2026 fee schedule as reviewed on October 27, 2026. The report form is several years old, so confirm the current version and requirements with the Fire Prevention Division.
Denver Fire Department Residential Fire Safety Equipment Report
The form dated 02/11/19 that sets out annual unit reports, alarm batteries, extinguisher testing and three-year record keeping.
Denver Fire Department: Fire Safety Inspections
The city’s page on annual commercial inspections, inspection reports, invoices, fees and contacts.
Denver Fire Department inspection fee schedule, July 23, 2026
Annual inspection fees by building size and occupancy, and the non-compliance reinspection fees.
Denver Fire Department inspection checklist
The undated form inspectors use, listing what is checked for alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers, kitchens, exits and more.
Denver Fire Department: System Down Reporting and Firewatch
The city’s steps for reporting an impaired alarm or sprinkler system, the 10-hour threshold, fire watch logs and ending a fire watch.
Who publishes this guide
Denver Fire Safety is an independent commercial service coordinator for Denver-area properties. It is not affiliated with the City and County of Denver or the Denver Fire Department, and it does not hold the licenses described above. A qualified provider, named to you before you authorize work, performs and documents the regulated work. Call (970) 591-1310 to start a request. If there is an active fire, smoke or immediate danger, call 911.