Staying Safe in Your Apartment

Moving out of your parents’ house and settling into your own apartment is an exciting change, especially if you’ve been longing to become independent for a while. Still, because of the prevalence of crime news on TV, you might also feel a bit apprehensive about living by yourself.

No one wants to be spooked out of ever leaving the safety of their home, so what you can do is be extra careful about the things you do. Keep yourself from being vulnerable while living in your apartment for rent by keeping these tips in mind.

While apartment-hunting:

1.       Find out if the landlord has changed the locks after the previous tenant moved out; assuming that the last renter still has his copy of the keys and that they’re not so nice, it’s better to make sure that the locks have been replaced.

2.       See to it that there is a peephole in the front door; this will let you find out who is at the door without opening it. If there is no peephole, make sure that the landlord puts one in.

3.       Should the apartment door be lacking a chain or a deadbolt, find out if the landlord is planning to affix one or if you have permission to install one yourself.

While residing in the unit:

1.       Make sure that your mailbox doesn’t carry your whole name; this safety measure will prevent you from being tracked down easily by people who might want to harm you.

2.       If you want a phone line installed, ask for an unlisted one to keep from getting unwelcome calls from people you may or may not know.

3.       When you go in and out of your apartment, be sure to stay alert. People who are preoccupied with activities like texting or rummaging through their bags while walking are more prone to being attacked.

4.       If the elevator is occupied by someone you don’t know, don’t get on. If you’re in a hurry and have no choice, stay within arm’s reach of the elevator buttons so that you can exit quickly if anything were to happen.

5.       Set some time aside for introducing yourself to your new neighbors to find out who are trustworthy and who aren’t. Seeing people in your building face-to-face will also let you know who actually lives in the building and who might try to fool you into thinking they live there.

While hunting for an apartment to rent, don’t forget to inspect security features and speak up about your concerns regarding tenant safety. If you’re already living in an apartment, be mindful of the things you do and all that’s going on around you so you won’t end up being a victim to any crime.