Ed, about the fire official who got in trouble because his tenant changed the inside of the building and there was a fire. I have been trying to get this point across to the local fire inspectors for 15 years: If the tenant causes the problem the tenant has to be cited, not the landlord. For example, if a tenant removes the battery from a smoke alarm the landlord gets the warning. I think that the tenant should be cited and fined. As landlords we can’t enter the tenant’s apartment any time we want to inspect things. We must give 24 hours notice to see if the tenant has destroyed any property inside the apartment.

Good ’Lord

Something tells me all the problems at that squalid chicken shack building didn’t arise within 24 hours.—Ed. Note