The first thing every person should keep in mind is the golden rule: treat others as you would want to be treated. That means using common (sense) courtesy in your day to day life. Don’t blare loud music past a certain hour; try not to have loud fights that others could hear and other basic things like this. If you aren’t getting the same level of courtesy back from your neighbors, a good place to start is with a simple knock on the door. It could be that your neighbors simply don’t realize that their behavior is being heard outside of their four walls. Simply knock on their door and politely ask them if they realize that others can hear what their doing. Even if you’re angry, be as polite and kind as possible. If the behavior continues, than it is time to involve your land lord or building manager.

Try to keep a record of the disruptive behavior or even a videotape that shows the noise or disturbance. Present the evidence to those in charge and see if that stops the noise. As a last resort, the police can be called, but make sure that this is absolutely the last option.

First, don’t try to sneak pets into your apartment if they don’t take them. You are running the risk of developing a bond with an animal and then having to toss the pet away. Second, it isn’t a good idea to adopt a pet that is used to going outside every day. It isn’t impossible to have an outdoor cat if you live in an apartment, but unless your door opens right up to the outside world, it becomes a logistical nightmare. Besides, do you really want to risk losing your pet in the concrete jungle outside? Adopt a cat that is either a kitten who will adjust to living indoors or adopt a cat that is already an indoor cat.

Birds and fish can make good apartment pets, but make sure you know how to take care of them before you adopt them. Fish are a lot of work, and birds can be very noisy and ill tempered. Read up on proper care techniques before you make the big decision.

The stereotypical college apartment is small, unkept and very noisy. While there is nothing that mom and dad can do about partying in the adjoining units, they can make sure that they stay in a building or complex that has on-site security and administration so that when parties go to 2 am and your son or daughter has a test the next day, all it takes is a single phone call and things can get back to normal.

Another common perception of college apartments is that they aren’t made very well. Since these types of apartments are significantly more likely to have reckless and even dangerous occupants, you often see holes in the walls or patches that show serious signs of wear and tear. Try not to rent from a place that looks like it has had wars waged inside of it. It shows poor judgment from the people running the building.

Finally, try to sign a short, six month lease so that if the place turns out to be horrible, you don’t have long to wait until you can find someplace better.

First of all, handicapped accessibility is paramount, even if our parent isn’t in a wheelchair or disabled yet. There is always the chance that an accident could change all that quickly and you don’t want to have to move again once it happens. Living on your own is all about mobility and you need to make sure they can get around with ease.

Finding a quiet apartment is probably the second most important thing, which is why it is probably a good idea to find a complex that has quite a few older residents. Since they will likely be on the same schedule, you won’t have to worry about loud music or rowdy parties. Plus, they will have a better chance to make friends.

Finally, try to choose a place that’s bright and cheery. This transition isn’t the end of the road, it is a new beginning and shouldn’t be treated as a negative if at all possible.

With a six month lease, you often have much more flexibility, and you have an “out” if it turns out that the apartment complex you picked is a dud. Many people who have demanding jobs that require them to travel a lot use six month leases since they are able to stay on the move if they have to. On the downside, a six month lease can often discourage someone from even bothering to decorate or improve the space they are living in since they figure they will be moving some place else in just a few months anyway. Also, with a six month lease, you may end up paying more in the way of rent since some apartment complexes give discounts to people who choose to stay for twelve months.

It may seem like a basic decision at first, but you should think twice about what kind of lease works for you.

When you approach the rental office, check out how the other residents behave. If there is a line of people waiting to lodge complaints, you might want to think twice about moving into that particular complex. If, on the other hand, you see happy folks with smiles on their faces, it might be a complex worthy of a second look.

When you are being walked to your possible new home, take a close look at the upkeep of the grounds. If the management company has put a little tender loving care into the appearance of the place, then they are likely to help you when you run into problems faster. If they are neglectful of the grounds, they will likely be neglectful of you.

Finally, keep your ears open as you tour your new apartment complex. If all you can hear is music blaring, people arguing and other loud distractions, you might want to think twice. If everything is peaceful and quiet, it is a good omen for the future.

The first thing that you can do to ensure that you don’t have a hornet’s nest of cords infesting your apartment is to bundle your cords. Use twist ties or their harder, plastic relatives, to tightly bind cords as much as you can. This won’t prevent people from tripping over them, but it will help with keeping everything neat if you need to disconnect and reconnect things on a regular basis.

Perhaps the most common way most of us cover cords is to get a throw rug to lay over spots where cords need to run the length of a room. An alternative that many of us don’t think of is to ask our landlord or management company if they have any carpet samples or throw-away pieces that are similar, or even exactly the same, as the carpet we have in our apartment. That way, you aren’t messing with trying to match colors or patterns.

Finally, try running cords against the wall and underneath radiators to hide them. Yes, this will take longer and require a lot of cord, but it is the easiest way to hide them completely.

DO – Make a complete list of everything you just moved into your new apartment and assign an approximate dollar value to each item. This will give you an honest appraisal of how much your belongings are worth and, that way, you can make an informed decision about getting insurance or not.

DON’T – Assume that your landlord’s or even your parent’s insurance covers you. Under almost every circumstance, these fallback options don’t work out. If your landlord has insurance on your apartment, it is to cover the apartment itself, not any of your possessions that were inside of it. There is a slightly better chance of you being covered by your parent’s insurance policy, but make sure you are before you decline getting renter’s insurance on your own.

DO – Take pictures of everything you own before you get a plan. Just like photographic proof can help you with your home owners insurance claims, the same can be true for renter’s insurance, and with the advent of digital cameras, documenting your belongings is even easier.

Your first stop should be online. The internet age has ushered in a slew of consumer protection websites that can assist you in leaning what the laws are in your new state as far as renting goes. Most major cities have renter’s rights groups that have their own website, and sometimes they even have a free 1-800 number you can call to learn about specific problems you are experiencing. Bookmark any sites you find like this for your area since you never know when you might need them in the future.

If you can’t find any up to date websites in your area that have this information, check out your copy of the Yellow Pages. They often have lists of non profit groups in your area that might be of use to you.

Finally, if all else fails, contact a lawyer in your new state, and they will likely point you in the general direction. The electronic age has afforded us significant leaps in communication so don’t get caught flat footed if you need to know your rental rights in your new state.

The main advantages of choosing a roommate from someone you know is that you know right off the bat that you will be compatible with that person. You likely already know that you both enjoy the same kind of music and the same kind of movies or television shows. You may already know if your friend is a night person or a morning person so there may be one less conflict in that department. In essence, choosing a roommate from someone you know is “going with the devil you know instead of the devil you don’t.”

On the flip side, you may realize that your friend isn’t all he or she is cracked up to be. They may end up having a whole host of annoying habits you don’t know about and you can see your friendship declining rapidly. It is a risk that many people take, and sometimes, it proves to be a big mistake.