If you are currently living in a major city or if you are thinking about relocating to a major city some time soon, you know how confusing it can be choosing between the hundreds of apartment complexes in your area. Even a small city with a population under two million has hundreds of apartment complexes and buildings to choose from, so how are you suppose to know which ones are winners and which ones are traps?

Thankfully, the Internet has made this chore much easier. Many national and local apartment hunting websites have areas in which people can leave comments so you’ll know long before you sign a lease if a place is worth staying in. However, as great as these databases are, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

First, many major apartment complexes switch owners on an incredibly frequent basis. For example, when yours truly lived in beautiful Orlando, Florida, the apartment complex I lived in changed owners four times in five years and is now condos! That’s why it is only worth while to pay attention to reviews from the last calendar year. Any older reviews may not reflect the current management group that now controls that property.

Finally, you also need to consider the likelihood that an apartment complexes competition has filled out bad reviews on those websites. Similar things have been detected on restaurant review sites, so it isn’t a leap to think the same thing can happen on apartment sites. Read all reviews with a grain of salt.

Although you may not realize it, signing a lease is a major financial decision that can impact you long after it has expired. If everything goes as planned, a lease can help build your credit and give you a positive rental history that can pave the way for you getting an even better place down the road. If things don’t go as planned, the financial repercussions can affect you for years. Let’s take a look at some vital questions you need to ask before you sign your next lease.

Financial emergencies happen to us all, and sometimes, we need an extra day or two to pay rent. Before you sign your lease, you need to understand exactly when rent is due and if you have any leeway when it comes to late payments. Sometimes, these laws are governed by state or local laws. For instance, in some parts of Florida, you can pay your rent as late as the fifth day of the month without penalty. At other places, you must pay on the first, or face fines.

You should also ask questions about how your deposit works and what qualifications you have to meet to have your entire deposit returned to you. If you feel that the definitions outlined in your lease are too arbitrary, ask that they be reworded so that you feel more comfortable. A lease is a two-way document, and you have the right to ask as many questions as you want to ensure that you are being treated fairly.

For many people, the idea of a shared laundry room brings back nightmares from college in which you forgot you had a load going, went to class, came back to your dorm to find your laundry strewn everywhere and half of it missing. If this scenario didn’t happen to you, it likely happened to someone you know. Now, you’ve just moved into a building that doesn’t allow washers and dryers, and you have to use a public, shared laundry room all over again. Here are a few tips to ensuring that your laundry doesn’t end up all over the floor for a second time.

First, buy a timer. Most machines now have digital read outs that tell you exactly how long it takes for a wash load and then a drying load. When you go to the laundry room, simply take the timer with you and then head back when the timer gets down to a minute or so. If you get there right as it ends, no one will ever mess with your belongings.

Read up on any rules that are posted that tell you how the laundry room works. Most complexes will tell you how long you have to move your laundry before another resident can move it for you. Even if you’re frustrated that there are no available machines, make sure that you follow the rules because you never know when it will be your laundry sitting down there. Try to give the same amount of respect to other people’s laundry as you would to your own, and you will be fine.

With the growing concern over global warming and the movement by many to become environmentally friendly, many people often wonder what they can do to help make their mark in the battle against pollution and waste. While there is no ironclad blueprint of things to do, here is a general list of some things we can all do to make the world a better place to live in.

First, even if your state or territory isn’t that big on recycling, try separating your garbage and recycling yourself. Some states, like Florida, don’t require any kind of deposit on bottles and cans, which means that most of the state doesn’t bother to recycle anything at all. You can help make a difference by recycling bottles, cans and even things like pasta sauce jars or aluminum cans that vegetables come in. Every little bit helps.

Install low flow shower heads in your bathroom to help conserve water every time you bathe. A low flow shower head can make a huge difference over the long term. The same can be said for controlling dripping faucets. If you have a dripping faucet, don’t put off fixing it. Every day you do, you’re wasting water.

Finally, if you have your own washing machine, try to switch to low phosphorus detergents. One of the biggest problems in the environment today is too much soap and phosphorus getting into the water table and making rivers, lakes and streams unusable.

It may sound like common sense, but being a good neighbor is harder than most people think. When you consider the fact that all of us grow up in our own individual way and we are all instilled with individual values, you begin to see how what may be common courtesy to one person might not be for others. Here is a quick checklist of things you can do to be the best neighbor in your building or apartment complex.

First and foremost, try to always be aware of the time. If you’re anything like me, you’re a night owl and enjoy staying up until the wee hours of the night. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this lifestyle, if you enjoy blaring your music at 2 a.m. or if you decide to rearrange your furniture at 3 a.m., you aren’t being a very nice neighbor. If you live in a corporate-run apartment complex, you likely have general “rules” that you can follow that will help you set limits on when you can do things. Many complexes begin to observe “quiet” hours at 9p.m. or 10p.m. Do your best to stick with these assigned times.

If you share an outside area, such as a hallway or stairway, with other residents, do your best to keep the outside areas clear of all personal possessions. Don’t stack shoes or toys or other items that people could trip on outdoors.