If you rent, you are always balancing two goals in winter: keep the place warm and cozy, and keep the landlord and the lease happy. Indoor electric fireplaces promise real-fireplace ambiance with the simplicity of a plug-in space heater. The big questions are: are they actually safe in apartments and leased homes, are they allowed, and what do they really cost to run?
Parrot Uncle is a U.S.-based home brand known for ceiling fans, chandeliers, and character-rich furniture that make every room feel more inviting. After years of helping customers refine their spaces with lighting and furnishings, we’re expanding that expertise into the electric fireplace category—bringing the same focus on comfort, style, and everyday practicality to this new frontier. In this article, we’ll draw on Parrot Uncle’s professional experience to take a closer look at one key question: Are Indoor Electric Fireplaces Safe for Apartments or Leased Homes?
Are Electric Fireplaces a Smart Choice for Renters?
Why renters pick electric over gas or wood
For renters, electric fireplaces solve several problems at once:
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They do not need a chimney, vent, or gas line.
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They plug into a standard 120 volt household outlet.
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They do not create real flames, smoke, soot, or ash.
Most apartment-friendly electric fireplaces use around 1,000 to 1,500 watts on the highest heat setting. That is roughly the same draw as a typical portable space heater or hair dryer, and it translates to about 5,100 BTU per hour of heat output for a 1,500 watt unit.
Compared with gas or wood, this has clear advantages in a rental:
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No carbon monoxide from the unit itself.
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No sparks or embers.
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No fuel storage issues.
You get visual flames, adjustable heat, and often a remote or thermostat, without structural changes to the building.
Where they make the most sense
Electric fireplaces fit especially well in three rental situations:
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Apartments or condos where any open flame is banned.
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Older homes where the original fireplace has been sealed or is unsafe to use.
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Leased homes that already have central heat but feel drafty or underheated in one or two rooms.
In practice, many renters are not trying to heat the entire home with an electric fireplace. They want the living room, bedroom, or basement TV area to feel comfortable without running central heat at a high setting all night.
You can think of an electric fireplace as a comfort upgrade: part heater, part mood lighting, with fewer hassles than trying to bring a gas or wood system back to life in a place you do not own.
Can You Use an Electric Fireplace in an Apartment or Leased Home?
read your lease and building rules
Before you buy anything, read the sections of your lease that mention:
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Space heaters or supplemental heating.
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Fireplaces or open flames.
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Major alterations or built in appliances.
Most leases do not mention electric fireplaces by name, but they often have language about portable heaters or adding built in fixtures. If the lease bans space heaters entirely, you need written permission. If the lease allows UL listed electric heaters, an electric fireplace with the right certifications usually falls under that same category.
Some condo associations and high rise buildings also publish separate building rules that address what you can mount on walls, what can go on balconies, and what kind of appliances are allowed. It is worth checking those as well.
What landlords actually worry about
When we talk with landlords and property managers, they are usually focused on three things:
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Fire risk and liability if something goes wrong.
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Overloaded circuits in older buildings.
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Physical damage to walls, floors, or built in furniture.
High quality electric fireplaces reduce the first concern because they have no open flame and come with safety features such as overheat protection, cool touch exteriors, and automatic shutoff.
The last two concerns are more about how you install and use the unit. Freestanding and TV stand style fireplaces that simply sit on the floor and plug into the wall are much easier for landlords to accept than anything that requires cutting into drywall or changing wiring.
How to get a clear yes from your landlord
If the lease is silent or vague, the simplest path is to ask for written approval. When renters loop us into that email or conversation, the approvals usually go smoother when they:
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Specify that it is an electric, plug in unit only, with UL, ETL, or CSA safety certification.
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Confirm it will be freestanding or a media console, not hardwired or permanently built in.
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State that it will be used according to the manufacturer instructions, not left on when nobody is home.
That tells your landlord you are not planning a DIY construction project or installing a gas appliance. You are adding a certified portable heater that just happens to look like a fireplace.
Best Electric Fireplace Styles for Apartments and Rentals
Not every electric fireplace is renter friendly. Some are designed to be built into walls or hardwired. Others are made for exactly the rental situations we see every day.
Plug in freestanding stoves
Freestanding electric stove fireplaces are one of the easiest choices for apartments:
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They are fully self contained and sit on the floor.
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They plug into a standard outlet with no wiring changes.
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You can move them when you rearrange the room or move out.
A typical freestanding stove will comfortably warm a small to medium size living room, and the footprint is similar to a side table. For smaller apartments, they are often less visually heavy than a full media console.
TV stand and media console fireplaces
For many renters, the most space efficient option is a TV stand with a built in electric fireplace. These combine three things you already need in a living room:
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A TV stand or media console.
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Storage for consoles, streaming boxes, and remotes.
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Supplemental heat and ambience.
Because they replace a piece of furniture you would have anyway, they work well in tight living rooms. Many are designed for TVs in the 50 to 70 inch range, and the fireplace insert is sized to heat the same room where you are watching.
Media console fireplaces also feel less like a "heater" to some landlords. As long as you follow clearance guidelines (usually a few feet from curtains and sofas) and keep the back open enough for ventilation, they are generally considered renter friendly.
Wall mounted and recessed units
Wall mounted and recessed fireplaces are trickier in rentals:
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Simple wall mounted units that hang like a heavy TV can potentially work if your lease allows drilling into walls and you repair the holes later.
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Recessed units that sit inside the wall cavity almost always require landlord permission and sometimes professional installation.
If you rent, focusing on plug in stoves and media console fireplaces will usually save you a lot of back and forth with your landlord and reduce your move out headaches.
Electric Fireplace Safety in Apartments and Leased Homes
Built in safety features to look for
Modern electric fireplaces aimed at the U.S. market come with a long list of safety features. At a minimum, look for:
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Overheat protection: the unit shuts itself off if internal temperatures get too high.
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Automatic shutoff or timers: some units power down after a set number of hours.
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Cool touch glass and cabinets: surfaces that stay much cooler to the touch.
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Independent flame only mode: you can run the flame effect with no heat.
Third party safety marks such as UL, ETL, or CSA are a strong sign that the unit has been tested to U.S. and Canadian safety standards for electric heaters.
When renters ask us what matters most on a spec sheet, those certifications and safety features are usually near the top of the list.
Placement and clearance in tight spaces
In a house, it is easy to say "keep three feet clear around any heater." In a studio apartment or small bedroom, that can feel impossible. The goal is to be thoughtful, not perfect.
Focus on:
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Keeping a clear path in front of the heater so air can flow in and out.
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Making sure the hot air is not blowing directly at curtains, bedding, or paper.
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Avoiding putting the unit where kids or pets constantly bump or climb on it.
For TV stands, check the manual for recommended height and clearance from the bottom of the TV. Many are designed to safely sit below a wall mounted TV, but you still want a few inches of space so your TV is not baking in rising heat.
Electrical load, outlets, and older wiring
The single biggest safety mistake we see in rentals is plugging an electric fireplace into a power strip or cheap extension cord. Almost every safety guide says not to do that, because extension cords and overloaded strips can overheat and cause fires.
Instead:
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Plug the fireplace directly into a dedicated wall outlet when possible.
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Avoid running other high draw appliances (like space heaters or hair dryers) on the same circuit at the same time.
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In older buildings, consider having an electrician check outlets if you see flickering lights or feel warm faceplates.
If flipping the fireplace to high heat trips a breaker regularly, that is a sign to step down the heat setting or move to a different circuit. A properly wired circuit should not trip under normal use.
Can You Leave an Electric Fireplace On All Night or Unattended?
What manufacturers and safety experts say
This is one of the most common questions renters ask.
Most manufacturers and independent safety sites land in a similar place:
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Electric fireplaces are generally considered safer than fuel burning heaters.
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Many are technically safe to run overnight if they have overheat protection and timers.
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But the safest practice is to turn off any heater when you leave the home or go to sleep, especially on high heat.
That nuance often gets lost. People see "it is safe" in marketing and assume that means "leave it on full blast all night and forget about it." That is not how most safety guidelines read.
Safer ways to use an electric fireplace at night
Here is how many of our customers end up using their units after a season or two:
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Use the heater in the evening to pre warm the room, then switch to flame only before bed.
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Rely on a built in timer so the heater shuts off after one, two, or four hours.
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In bedrooms, use the lowest heat setting and keep the unit across the room, not right next to the bed.
If your main concern is falling asleep to the flame effect, you can usually run the lights without heat at a very low power draw. The heater element is the part that uses serious power and generates heat, not the LED flame system.
When you should absolutely turn it off
Even the best electric fireplace should be turned off in a few situations:
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When you leave the apartment or rental home for more than a quick errand.
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If you notice unusual smells, buzzing, crackling, or very hot plastic.
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If the outlet or plug feels hot to the touch.
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When young kids or pets are left alone in the room.
The idea is not to be afraid of the heater. It is to treat it like any other major appliance: respect the limits, and do not leave it running at full power in an empty home.
How Much Does It Cost To Run an Electric Fireplace in a Rental?
Typical power draw and heat output
Most apartment friendly electric fireplaces offer two heat levels:
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Low: around 750 to 1,000 watts.
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High: around 1,500 watts.
A 1,500 watt setting equals 1.5 kilowatts. If you run that for one hour, you use 1.5 kilowatt hours of electricity. Heat output at that level is about 5,100 BTU per hour, which is enough to noticeably warm a small to medium sized room.
On low, around 1,000 watts, you are using 1 kilowatt per hour of operation.
Real world cost examples
Electricity rates vary a lot by state, but as of 2025, the average residential electricity rate for U.S. homeowners is roughly 17 cents per kilowatt hour.
Using that as a simple national average, here is what running an electric fireplace might cost:
| Heat setting | Power (W) | Hours per day | Monthly use (kWh) | Approx monthly cost* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 1,000 | 2 | 60 | 10 to 11 USD |
| Low | 1,000 | 4 | 120 | 20 to 21 USD |
| High | 1,500 | 2 | 90 | 15 to 16 USD |
| High | 1,500 | 4 | 180 | 30 to 31 USD |
| High | 1,500 | 8 | 360 | 60 to 62 USD |
*Based on an average residential rate of about 17 cents per kilowatt hour. Actual costs in your state may be a bit lower or higher.
If you are only using the flame effect with no heat, the power draw and cost drop dramatically. In many models, flame only mode uses closer to 30 to 50 watts, which is similar to an LED TV or a couple of light bulbs.
Simple ways to keep the bill reasonable
Renters who are happy with their bills tend to:
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Use the fireplace as a supplemental heater instead of leaving central heat very high all day.
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Run it on high to take the chill off, then step down to low or flame only.
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Close doors to keep the warmed room smaller and more efficient.
In some apartments, turning down central heat a few degrees and using an electric fireplace only in the occupied room in the evening can actually keep the total bill close to flat, even if electric rates are climbing. Rising rates are real, but so is the better zone control you get from a dedicated room heater.
FAQs:
Q1:Are TV stand fireplaces safe under a television?
When used as directed, yes. TV stand fireplace units are specifically designed to support a television and to direct heat out the front, away from the screen. Always follow the manufacturer guidelines for maximum TV size and minimum clearance between the heater and the TV.
Q2:Can I install a recessed electric fireplace in a rental?
Technically you can, but it usually requires landlord permission and sometimes professional installation. For most renters, freestanding stoves and media console fireplaces are safer choices because they avoid cutting into walls or altering wiring.
Q3:Is it safe in a kids room or around pets?
Many renters use electric fireplaces in family spaces as long as the unit has cool touch glass or a protective front, and they keep cords out of reach. For young kids and curious pets, consider a freestanding stove with a stable base, secure cords along the wall, and do not allow climbing or leaning on the unit.
Q4:What size electric fireplace should I buy for a small apartment living room?
As a rough rule, a 1,500 watt electric fireplace is rated for up to about 400 square feet of supplemental heating, depending on insulation and climate. If your living room is much smaller, you can still use that size unit but run it on low.
Bottom line: is it worth it for renters?
If you want real visual flame, more comfortable evenings, and you are not allowed to alter the building, an indoor electric fireplace is one of the most renter friendly options available. With a good quality unit, a direct plug into the wall, and a bit of common sense, you can enjoy the look and feel of a fireplace without giving your landlord or your insurance agent a reason to call.
