25 Safety Tips, Health Tips and Money-Saving Tips for People Who Live in Apartments
by www.SixWise.com

Even as the U.S. housing market took a downward plunge in recent years, the apartment market has held steady. Apartment living appeals to many people because of the affordability, low-hassle lifestyle and ability to change locations easily.

In all about 22 million Americans, or one in four U.S. households, live in apartments. Close to half of apartment dwellers surveyed by the National Association of Home Builders said they do so because "it suits their lifestyle."

When choosing an apartment, the survey found, an attractive price, location and design are most important. But there is much more to know about apartment living than meets the eye. Here we've compiled the top tips for your safety, health and finances when living in an apartment.

Apartment Safety Tips

1. Purchase renter's insurance to protect your belongings in the event of theft, fire, flooding or other damage.

2. Make sure the locks on your doors have been changed since the last tenant left.

3. Your apartment door should have a peephole so you can identify who is there before opening it. If your door doesn't have one, ask the landlord to install one.

4. If your apartment has a door buzzer that allows you to let people in, only buzz up people you personally know and expect to be coming over (do not buzz up someone who randomly asks to be let in, even if they say they live in the building and are locked out - you can offer to call a locksmith for them instead).

5. If you have a sliding glass door that leads outside, keep a stick or broom handle in the track so it cannot be forced open.

6. Only put your last name or initials on your mailbox.

7. Put timers on your lights so that it looks like someone is home even if you're out for the evening.

8. Ask your landlord to install lights in poorly lit areas, or trim overgrown shrubbery that could act as hiding place for criminals.

9. Always lock your windows and doors.

10. Make sure the apartment has a working smoke alarm, fire extinguisher and carbon monoxide detector.

11. Do not prop open the lobby doors (and close the door if you see someone else has propped it open).

12. Always stay with your clothes in the laundry room (they could easily be stolen if you leave them unattended).

Health Tips for Apartment Living

13. Before signing a lease, check under the kitchen sink and in the bathroom to make sure there's no mold present. If there is, make sure it will be professionally removed before you move in.

14. If you have allergies to dogs or cats, you may want to choose a building that does not allow pets (or at least make sure the previous tenants were not pet owners).

15. If you have plant or pollen allergies, make sure there are no potentially irritating plants right by the windows.

16. Ask the landlord about the building's indoor air quality, and consider using the PIONAIR Air Treatment System to keep your apartment air clean. Unlike most air purifiers, the PIONAIR™ Air Treatment System doesn't wait for pollutants to contact a filter or plate. Instead, the PIONAIR generates air-purifying technology that migrates through the area and neutralizes organic odors, microbes, & molds at their source. As a result, the PIONAIR produces fresh clean air throughout your home or office uniformly, by addressing the pollutant source - without the use of fans, filters, or plates! Pionair's 750 Unit covers 350 to 750 square feet and is perfect for one-bedroom apartments.

17. If you notice signs of pests (rodents, cockroaches, bed bugs, etc.) contact the landlord to have them removed. BUT, be careful being around any of the fumigating agents used. These toxic pesticides (and their residues) can be harmful to your health (pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable). If you see mouse droppings, make sure to clean them up carefully to prevent the spread of hantavirus.

18. Always take the stairs to your apartment instead of the elevator (you'll get more exercise).

19. Make sure your air conditioner filter is changed regularly (at least every three months). Your landlord should do this for you.

Money-Saving Tips for Apartment Living

20. If you choose to sign up for cable, keep in mind that the FCC has banned exclusive agreements between telecommunications providers and buildings. This means you have the right to find your own provider (although the package offered by the management may be a better deal if it gives you a group rate).

21. If you have a roommate, decide ahead of time how to split rent and other bills. If there are two bedrooms, and one is obviously bigger or nicer, for instance, the person who gets it should pay more in rent.

22. When it comes time to negotiate your rent, be creative in asking for a discount. You could ask for a lower monthly rent in exchange for shoveling snow from the front steps, or doing some repairs yourself, for instance.

23. Upon re-signing your lease, you can negotiate a better rate by emphasizing your steady payment history, your loyalty to the complex or pointing out high vacancy rates in the building (which makes it more likely that the landlord will want you to stay).

24. Make sure the building's heating system is inspected yearly. Inefficiencies in heating systems (especially gas systems) can cost you extra money in heating bills.

25. Consider an "all-inclusive" apartment, where the rent covers all of your utilities and even your Internet and cable. These can be very good deals, as long as you use all of the covered amenities.

Recommended Reading

Amazing Facts about U.S. Homes & Home Owners, and the Most Common Styles of Home in the USA

The Five Home Construction Materials that Pose the Highest Health Risk to You

Sources

Realtytimes.com

Apartments.com