It is no secret that getting to know your neighbors in a new apartment complex can be downright awkward, especially if you aren’t an out going guy. There are a few things you can do, however, to at least learn people’s names so that you can watch out for each other as time goes on.

While this may sound a bit clichéd, simply buying a box or two of cookies and knocking on a few of your neighbor’s doors is a direct and friendly way to announce your presence. You don’t have to prepare a speech, but simply say that you’ve just moved in down the hall and you wanted to say hello. Most neighbors will be thankful that you’ve taken the initiative to try to make it a safer place for you all to live in.

If you are more the enterprising sort, you can think about throwing a party. You can even theme the party around a sporting event or some other kind of major event so that everyone is sure to come over and say hello. Not only does this give you a chance to meet everyone in your hallway or building, but it also gives you a chance to have more in depth conversations with your neighbors so you can discover who you might have something in common with.

If you are only interested in meeting those in your building that you think you’ll be friends with, most buildings have a common area in which you can post announcements. You can always post an announcement for folks to come over to watch the big game or a big event if they choose to.

Depending on your lease at your new apartment, you will likely be responsible for utilities and other bills once you move into your new place. The price of your power bill can vary widely depending on where you call home. Some cities charge a flat rate every month that doesn’t change depending on how much you use, while some cities and towns use a meter reading just like most houses. Here are a few simple energy saving tips you can follow to help keep your power costs down.

One excellent power saving habit you can get into is to only use power in one room at a time. If you are in your living room watching television or on the computer, make sure that the lights in the rest of the apartment are off and that there are no other major electronics on throughout the rest of the house. Not only will this save you serious cash on your power bill, it won’t waste any precious energy, either.

Check out the light bulbs that are installed in your apartment when you move in and see if they are energy friendly bulbs. You can head to your local hardware store and pick up some of these great bulbs that use significantly less power and can last years without being replaced! You’ll save time and money.

Finally, don’t leave more than one light on when you leave the house. People sometimes like to leave the television on for pets, but it really is just a waste of power.

Thanks to a serious increase in building codes across the country, the modern apartment is one of the safest dwellings one can live in. Since the average apartment building is constantly being inspected and looked at by the owners and maintenance people that work there, any problems that come up are usually dealt with quickly, but sometimes, there are health risks we may not think of that could be affecting all of us.

One of the most common health problems in any building is bugs. While most of us look at insect infestations as simply a bothersome and disgusting annoyance, it can actually be a health hazard if the infestation is too large. There are many illnesses associated with bugs that can be traced to living among large amounts of droppings or from gases released by termites, so if you find an insect infestation in your apartment, report it to management as soon as possible. If immediate action is not taken, contact your local renter’s rights group to see what your options are.

Another sneaky health problem that affects many modern day apartments is mold and mildew. While you may be responsible and neat, there is no telling what your neighbors are doing on the other side of that wall. If you see signs of mildew or mold in your bathroom or in another part of your apartment, make sure you tell someone right away, because, often times, what you see is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many health concerns associated with mold and mildew, so don’t hesitate to contact your landlord.

Often times, when we hear about renter-landlord conflicts, most of us assume that the problem was with the landlord and that the renter was, for the most part, innocent. However, most landlords only have problems with problem tenants, so here are a few things you can do to help keep your landlord a happy person.

First and foremost, try to never be late on rent. Remember, your landlord is just like you. He or she is trying to make a living off of an investment, and it only causes problems when that investment doesn’t come through on time. The best way you can stay on good terms with your landlord is by paying rent on time, every time.

One of the biggest sources of conflict between renter and landlord is when the tenant requests something to be fixed and that request goes unheeded for weeks on end. We assume that the landlord isn’t doing his or her job because they are cheap or because they don’t want to invest the time, but that isn’t always the case. It could be a simple matter of priorities where there are other issues that need attention before yours. By automatically jumping to conclusions, you aren’t giving your landlord the benefit of the doubt.

Finally, calling your landlord ahead of time and asking about any changes you want to make in the apartment can go a long way in staying on their good side. Even if the lease says you can paint the walls, a polite, courtesy phone call to let your landlord know is always in good taste.