Unless you’ve gotten incredibly lucky with your new apartment, you will likely have to deal with noisy neighbors at least once over the next few months. How you do this will often directly impact the final results, so let’s take a look at a few essential do’s and don’ts when it comes to dealing with noisy neighbors.

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.

It is no secret that living in an apartment, especially if you live by yourself, can be a bit lonely. We work every day and come home to an apartment that is devoid of life, with the exception of a few plants. The problem is that fewer and fewer apartment complexes are allowing pets these days, and the ones that do only allow things like fish, and not birds or cats. Here are a few tips for getting the right pet for your apartment.

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.

If you have a student going off to college and you’ve decided against the overpriced on-campus dorms, you are likely going to be living in a college apartment. While an off -campus apartment may be a cheaper alternative to living on campus, they can be fraught with problems. Here are some pitfalls you need to watch out for when you start apartment hunting with your soon to be college student.

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.

As we age, we begin to go through a series of changes that can directly affect our quality of living. Most of us will own a home some day, but we will eventually decide that cleaning and keeping up that home is too much hassle and we will start to look for other accommodation. Many people would rather die than live in a nursing home, so an apartment becomes a natural choice, but how can we tell if our moms and dads will be happy in their new digs? Let’s take a look at some things we should look for when apartment hunting with mom and dad.

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.