Keep your apartment safe & in good shape over Winter Break

It’s about time for winter break to begin at Indiana University.  Most of you will get nearly a  month off.  You've been going to class a couple hours a day 3 times a week for a few months now.  That’s a rough life and you really deserve that month off (if you can't tell, yes, I am jealous).

If you’re like most student renters, you will be leaving your apartment for extended periods of time this winter.  While gone your apartment could face two formidable enemies; the weather and burglars.  Both can cost you thousands.  Spending just a few minutes before you leave preparing your home will significantly reduce the chances of burglary and damages to your home.

Tips to keep your home in good working condition while you are away

1. Leave heat ON - You might be tempted to turn the heat off.  Logic is that you may save a few bucks by not heating an unoccupied apartment.  This logic is very flawed.  If temps fall well below freezing, it is likely a pipe in your apartment will freeze, expand, then burst. Burst pipe = flood = thousands of dollars of damages.  Keep your heat on and turned to at least 55 degrees.


2. Open cabinet doors - Sure you have the heat on, but there are doors blocking the air from getting inside your cabinets. Guess what is either in or  right behind your cabinets?  Yes, water pipes!  Opening your cabinets in your kitchen & bathroom while you are gone will allow the warm air to keep your pipes from freezing.


3. Leave a stream of water running - When temperatures drop below about 15 degrees, a lot of bad things can happen to your apartment systems.  Leaving the heat on and cabinets open can only do so much in extreme cold.  As an added measure of protection, you should leave a pencil-lead sized streak of cold water running in one sink.


4. Toilet seat up – Men, this is the one and only time you will not get in trouble for leaving the toilet seat up. You probably won’t have a problem if you are only gone for a week or so, but we've found that if a toilet lid is down for an extended period of time, mold sometimes begins to grow on the seat. Who wants to clean a moldy seat after a long drive home?


5. Take out trash & perishables – I promise you that when you get back from break you do not want to be greeted by the smell of 2 week old rotting ground beef.  Take a minute to empty trash & also throw away any perishables that are expiring soon.


6. Don’t be surprised by a few bugs – I am by no means a bug expert or understand why this happens, but when a place is left vacant and undisturbed for an extended period of time, it is very common to see a few spider webs and a few dead bugs lying around.   If you notice this when you come back from break, it does not mean your apartment is infested with bugs or that you need it sprayed immediately.  No matter where you live, bugs find a way in.  Just do a little vacuuming when you get back and things will be back to normal. You can also reduce the chance of bugs by making sure you do not leave out any food or crumbs before you leave.

Tips to keep your home safe while you are gone

1. Leave a light on – Just like Motel 6. If you have a porch light that you control, you might think about leaving that on.  You might also leave a light on in your kitchen or living room.  Someone looking to break-in will be looking for an apartment that is obviously unoccupied.  Don’t allow your place to look unoccupied.  If you're worried about energy consumption, maybe switch to a high efficiency light bulb.


2. Lock up – Duh, you’ll make sure all of your exterior doors are locked, but you might forget to confirm your windows are locked. Consider closing your window blinds as well.


3. Have a friend check-in – If you know someone staying in town, you might ask them to check in on your apartment once or twice.  Maybe have them switch the light you have on and also have them pick up any solicitations that are left on your front door.


4. Monitor package deliveries – If you ordered a holiday gift and expect it to be delivered to your apartment while you are away,  track that package.  If it is delivered to your door, maybe ask us or a friend to keep it or to put it in your apartment.

Other Tips while you are away

1. Have post office hold your mail – If you will be gone for several weeks and you generally receive a lot of mail, you might consider having the post office hold your mail.  Click here to do this online.


2. Pay January rent - IU break lasts through the first week in January and paying rent may not be on the top of your list while away.  We've tried to make this process easy on you.  You can pay from anywhere on pretty much any device by clicking here.


3. Keep utilities on and in your name - For many of you, as part of your  lease agreement you are required to pay utilities directly to utility companies.  Please do not take those out of your name during break.

Even if you take all the precautions the in the world, there is still a chance something bad can happen to your apartment while you're gone.  You may have a neighbor that did not read this article and a pipe bursts in their apartment which also floods yours.  Someone might break in.   As a last line if defense, I recommend that you get a renter's insurance policy.  It's generally less then a couple hundred dollars a year and will protect you against damages to your personal property and break-ins.

Click here for a quick checklist you can use while preparing to leave.

Hope this helps.  Have a great break.  Please comment below if you have any other ideas.