From gift exchanges and office parties to Black Friday and Christmas at grandma’s, the winter holidays are all about making memories and celebrating with loved ones. And all these festivities mean there are plenty of reasons for renters to leave their apartments.

Unfortunately, vacant homes and apartments are easy targets for burglars, even if only left unattended during a few hours of shopping. Seventy-seven percent of all crimes committed are classified as property crimes (burglary, theft, and vehicle theft), and Forbes reports a spike in those numbers during the holiday season. To make matters worse, as people deck the halls and turn up the thermostats, incidents related to fire, electric shock, and carbon monoxide poisoning increase as well. Read the rest of this entry »

When you don’t own your apartment, you might feel stuck with everything as is. You can’t paint the walls, rip out the carpet, or knock down a wall for an “open concept” makeover. You aren’t, however, at the mercy of the security measures the apartment complex has in place. There are plenty of ways to increase your apartment security without making any permanent changes to your apartment or spending an arm and a leg. Find out what you can do to make your apartment safer and less attractive to potential burglars, plus the cost (if any) associated with each precaution! Read the rest of this entry »

October 4th – 10th is Fire Safety Week, so we’ve assembled a list of important things to keep in mind when preventing fires, planning escape strategies, and responding quickly in the event of an apartment fire.

1. Practice Fire Prevention

One of the most important things you can do to prevent fires is to be proactive. Fortunately, there are a few simple tasks you can perform to save a lot of trouble. Smoking is the number one cause of fires, so make sure to put out your cigarettes completely, and to never smoke in bed. Another important tip is to avoid keeping any flammable liquids inside of your apartment, and to make sure that your matches and lighters are stowed out of reach of children. Lastly, make sure that you’re practicing safe electrical outlet protocol: don’t use frayed cords, overload your outlets, or keep liquids nearby.

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