What to check in your first week in a new home: a move-in safety checklist

In your first week in a new home, do six things: test every smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm, find the main water shut-off and the breaker panel, check the heating and cooling filter, check the water heater temperature, clear the dryer's lint path, and start a radon test if you live on or near the ground. These cover the problems that are most dangerous or most expensive to discover late.

This checklist is for new homeowners and renters, whether you just closed on a house or just got the keys to an apartment. Use it in the days right after you move in, ideally before the boxes are fully unpacked, because some of these items (the water shut-off, the breaker panel) are much harder to find in an emergency than on a quiet afternoon. It does not replace a home inspection; it is what you check yourself once you live there.

How to use this first-week checklist

Set aside about two to three hours, or split the list over a few evenings. Work in the order shown: life-safety alarms first, then shut-offs, then the home's systems, then laundry and air. Keep a notebook or phone handy to write down model numbers, filter sizes and dates as you go; that record is the start of your home inventory.

In an apartment or other rental:

• Skip lock changes, radon mitigation and anything behind a panel. Report problems to your landlord in writing instead of fixing them.
• Radon testing matters most on the lowest lived-in level, so an upper-floor unit can usually skip it.
• The water heater and furnace may be shared or in a locked room. If you can't reach them, ask the landlord for the filter schedule and the water heater setting.

The first-week checklist

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

• Count the smoke alarms. The U.S. Fire Administration says to have them inside and outside each sleeping area and on every level, including the basement.
• Press the test button on every smoke alarm and confirm it sounds.
• Read the manufacture date printed on each alarm. Alarms need replacing 10 years from that date, not from when they were installed.
• Note each alarm's power type: 9-volt battery, hardwired with a backup battery, or sealed 10-year lithium.
• Confirm there is a CO alarm on each level of the home and outside sleeping areas, and press its test button.
• Write the date you tested and the date of any new batteries on a list.

Shut-offs and the electrical panel

• Find the main water shut-off valve. Oregon State University Extension advises learning where shut-off valves are in your home and at the connection point to the water supply.
• Tag the main valve with a bright label so anyone in the household can find it.
• Find the small shut-off valves under each sink, behind each toilet and behind the washing machine.
• Find the breaker panel and check that each breaker has a readable label.
• If the home has gas, find the gas meter, and only look at it. Leave the valve itself alone.

Heating, cooling and water heater

• Find the air filter for the furnace, central air or heat pump, and write down its size.
• Pull the filter and look at it. ENERGY STAR recommends you inspect, clean or change filters about once a month.
• Look for a service sticker on the equipment showing when it was last tuned up.
• Check the water heater's temperature setting. The U.S. Department of Energy points renters and homeowners to 120°F (49°C).
• Photograph the model and serial number labels on the furnace, air conditioner and water heater.

Laundry

• Clean the dryer's lint filter and look for lint behind and under the dryer.
• Check that the duct behind the dryer is connected and not crushed or kinked.
• Confirm the washer and dryer are plugged straight into a wall outlet, not an extension cord, as the U.S. Fire Administration advises for major appliances.

Air, outlets and doors

• Place a short-term radon test kit in the lowest level you live in, following the kit's instructions.
• Plug a lamp into outlets around the home and note any outlet where the plug doesn't fit snugly.
• Homeowners: rekey or replace exterior door locks, since earlier owners and contractors may still have keys.

If you find a problem

A smoke alarm doesn't sound, or it's more than 10 years old. Replace the whole alarm. A plug-in battery model is a simple swap. For a hardwired alarm, the U.S. Fire Administration says only a qualified electrician should install it, because the work is on household wiring.

An alarm is missing. Add battery-powered smoke alarms where the coverage above has gaps, and a CO alarm on any level without one. The USFA also suggests interconnected alarms, so that when one sounds, they all sound. Renters should ask the landlord in writing.

A CO alarm goes off. Treat it as an emergency: get everyone outside to fresh air and call 911 or the fire department from outside.

The main water valve won't turn, or turns but doesn't stop the water. Don't force it with a wrench. Call a licensed plumber, because a stuck or broken main valve can leak or snap, and fixing it means working on the water supply.

Breakers are unlabeled, the panel feels warm, or you see scorch marks or a loose outlet. Resetting a single tripped breaker is fine. For anything else, hire a licensed electrician, since panel and outlet repairs carry shock and fire risk and usually need a permit. The USFA says to replace wall outlets that don't hold plugs snugly; have an electrician do it.

The filter is gray and clogged. Replace it with the same size. ENERGY STAR notes that a dirty filter raises energy costs and can lead to early equipment failure. If there is no recent service sticker, book a professional check-up: cooling in spring, heating in fall.

The water heater is set to 140°F (60°C) or higher. The Department of Energy says lowering it to 120°F reduces scalding risk and slows buildup in pipes, but people with a compromised immune system or chronic respiratory disease may want to keep it at 140°F. If the dial is outside the tank (common on gas models), you can turn it. If the thermostat sits behind a metal access panel (common on electric models), don't open it. Ask a licensed plumber or electrician, because live wiring sits behind that panel.

Drying takes too long, or lint is packed behind the dryer. Hire a dryer vent cleaning service. The USFA found that failure to clean was the leading factor in home clothes dryer fires in 2018 to 2020, at 31%.

Radon reads 4 pCi/L (150 Bq/m³) or higher. EPA's Citizen's Guide to Radon treats 4 pCi/L as the level to act on, starting with a follow-up test. If the follow-up test confirms it, hire a qualified radon mitigation contractor. Installing a mitigation system means sealing and venting work on the foundation.

When to do it again

Most of this list becomes routine once you know where everything is.

EPA does not set a fixed retest interval for homes that tested below 4 pCi/L. Its retesting guidance says only that you may want to test again in the future. Before your first freeze, also see How to Winterize Outdoor Faucets and Garden Hoses.