Category: Renting Safely

Humans are territorial creatures. There's a whole branch of scientific study within the field of anthropology which explores just how territorial we are. It's called "proxemics" and it takes into account how we respond to people touching us, standing close to us, and making noises in our general vicinity. You've probably heard of the terms "personal space" and "comfort zone." Both of those concepts arose out of the study of proxemics.

When we're forced to live in small apartments or small apartment buildings with strangers our territorial boundaries are challenged. Our instincts in these situations force us into a state of heightened awareness, much closer to the "fight or flight" threshold. We're more prone to getting into fights and flying off the handle. Today we'll be using the science of proxemics and a study of common factors in creepypasta/horror stories to help renters choose an apartment that minimizes this sense of perpetual invasion. We'll also look at ways to arrange your furniture to help minimize conflicts between roommates. Continue reading Couches, Curtains and Creepypasta: Using Proxemics to Feel Safer in Your Apartment

Sometimes you have to move to a new city in a hurry. Sometimes that city is too far away for you to make two trips out for house hunting and your actual move. We've covered relocation a little in the past before but there's a very special scenario that arises when you have to pick a new home without being able to visit any of your options in person. Today we're going to give you some pointers on how to find an apartment in a different city sight unseen.

In some cases, people who need to move in these situations can ask their employer to put them up in temporary housing until they can find new digs. Some others may have family or friends with couches or guest bedrooms that are alright for a week or two. This is not for you guys. This is for the folks who are moving on short notice with no anchors in the new city, as well as for the very kind and generous folks who are serving as proxies for them. Continue reading How to Find a Good Apartment Sight-Unseen

The concept of regular apartment inspections by the landlord or property manager is a very old one that is seeing new popularity among property managers across the U.S. Some tenants are surprised the first time they encounter a landlord who wants to inspect their apartment on a regular basis. Some have been regularly inspected without knowing it. Others, especially those on government rent subsidies, are accustomed to it. Today we're going to go over the 6 W's (what, why, who, when, where and how to prepare/avoid) of the apartment inspection process so that renters can be ready to deal with these encounters and come out of them on top. Continue reading The 6 Ws of Apartment Inspections