Fire, carbon monoxide, and electrical are the three categories that matter here.
01Fire
Smoke detector
Every bedroom should have a working smoke detector inside the room or within a few feet of the door, per the NFPA standard. Test the detector by pressing the test button — it should sound immediately. If there's a 10-second delay or no sound, the battery or the unit needs replacing. Test monthly. Replace batteries annually at minimum. Replace the unit every 10 years.
Combination smoke/CO detector
A combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector in every bedroom is the current best practice, not just the bare-code minimum. CO is odorless and kills during sleep. The combination units cost $25–$50 and remove any gap in coverage.
Electrical cords under bedding or rugs
Extension cords run under a rug or mattress are a fire hazard. The insulation wears through from foot traffic or compression and the heat has nowhere to go. This includes phone charging cords left under pillows overnight. Charge devices on a hard surface, not in the bed.
Space heater clearance
A space heater needs 3 feet of clearance from anything combustible — bedding, curtains, clothing on the floor. Never run a space heater while sleeping unless it has auto-shutoff. Even then, it's not a safe primary heat source for overnight use.
02Electrical
Outlet condition
Check every outlet in the bedroom for discoloration, scorch marks, or a burning smell. Any of these means an outlet that has experienced a fault and needs replacement before it's used again.
Extension cord use
Extension cords are temporary. If you have extension cords in the bedroom that have become permanent fixtures — plugged in, run along baseboards, powering nightstand lamps or TVs — replace them with permanently installed outlets. An electrician can add an outlet for $100–$200.
Overloaded power strips
A power strip is not a substitute for adequate outlets. High-draw devices — window AC units, space heaters, electric blankets — should be plugged directly into wall outlets, not power strips.
03Carbon Monoxide
CO detector placement
Carbon monoxide detectors should be installed on every level of the house and in every sleeping area. If you have a gas furnace, gas water heater, or attached garage, CO is a real risk. Test the CO detector the same way you test the smoke detector.
Attached garage exhaust
Never run a car, generator, or any gas-powered equipment in an attached garage, even with the garage door open. CO builds faster than it can dissipate and migrates into the living space through shared walls and the connecting door.
04General
Window egress
Every bedroom should have at least one window that can be opened from inside and is large enough to climb through — 5.7 square feet of opening, minimum 24 inches in height and 20 inches in width, per code. If a bedroom window is painted shut, won't open, or is too small to exit through, that's a code issue and a life-safety issue.
Door hardware
The bedroom door should close and latch. A closed bedroom door buys significant time in a house fire — it slows the spread of smoke and heat. A door that doesn't latch or close fully is worth fixing.
Monthly for the smoke and CO detector test. Every 6 months for the full list. After any electrical work in the room. Before leaving the house unoccupied for an extended period.
Ray Torres is a home safety writer based in Phoenix, Arizona. He writes about the slow, quiet hazards in residential buildings — the ones that have been sitting slightly wrong for long enough that nobody notices them anymore.