Tip 1: Use Caution While Cooking Food

The kitchen is the most common place to have a fire, and in some cases, it is caused by not using the proper precautions. Make sure to stay near to the stove while you are preparing a meal. While cooking, keep your clothing and hair away from the flames. If your apartment has a balcony or a patio, then follow the guidelines for barbecuing outside so that sparks don't land on fences or other flammable structures.

Tip 2: Make Sure that You Have a Working Smoke Detector

You should have at least one working smoking detector on each level of your apartment, and you should test the batteries in these items each week. For additional protection, you can install smoke detectors in other areas, and some of these devices have extra things to protect you, including bright lights to help you find emergency exits or systems that will notify a local fire station immediately.

Tip 3: Do You Need a Portable Fire Ladder?

If you live in a multistory building that doesn't have exterior fire stairs, then you should buy a portable fire ladder or escape tube. These devices are dropped from an apartment's balcony or out a window so that you and your family can escape from the fire. You should keep these devices near to the windows or balconies, and you must teach everyone how to use the items when a fire occurs.

Tip 4: Watch Burning Candles

You may want to have candles in your home to enjoy the fragrance from these items or to create a relaxing atmosphere. Candles are also essential during a power outage, but if you use these in an apartment, then you must watch the items carefully. Avoid leaving candles unattended, especially when you have children or pets.

Tip 5: Don't Block the Proper Flow of Air from Climate-control Equipment

An air conditioner or a furnace can overheat when it is covered with piles of stuff. Don't use a utility room in your apartment for storage because it will prevent the proper flow of the heated or cooled air. In addition, walk through your apartment to verify that the intake and outlet vents aren't covered with rugs or draperies.

Tip 6: Fire Safety Drills with Your Family

Apartment renters should have fire safety drills with a family at least once a month. In addition to knowing how to get out of an apartment, you should know how to leave a larger apartment building that has multiple doors and windows. Remember that when a real fire occurs, you may need to exit a building in a different way because there are flames in the area nearest to your apartment.

Tip 7: Maintain A Dryer's Exhaust System

If your apartment has a laundry area, then make sure to clean the dryer's exhaust system once a year. The plastic or metal exhaust hose can become filled with lint that can overheat and start a fire. In some cases, you can empty the hose, but if it is damaged, then you should replace it.

Tip 8: Don't Leave Burning Cigarettes Unattended

Check your lease to determine if smoking is permitted in your apartment. If smoking is permitted, then follow the guidelines about smoking in certain locations. At the same time, you shouldn't smoke cigarettes in bed or while reclining on a couch. You should have smokeless or fireproof ashtrays to prevent an accidental fire in your apartment.

Tip 9: Check Electrical Cords

Apartment renters should check the electrical cords on electronics and appliances to make sure that the items aren't frayed. It is often possible to buy a new electrical cord at a home improvement store to replace the frayed ones that can cause a fire.

Tip 10: Monitor Your Apartment's Space Heaters

If you use a space heater to stay warm in an apartment, then make sure that it is in good condition. Electric space heaters are less likely to cause a fire, but don't cover the items with blankets or piles of clothing.

The post 10 Fire Safety Tips for Apartment Renters appeared first on South Parc Blog.

Sometimes the apartment is real; sometimes, it is not. The person posing as a landlord seldom has the right to rent out the space in question.

Unfortunately, apartment hunting can have your emotions running high, and it's easy to be too trusting. Other times you're in a time crunch, wanting or needing to get out of your current apartment as soon as possible due to personal reasons or when in the process of relocating for a job. Being eager to hurry up and get moving can make you vulnerable to scammers. It's also easy to be excited about moving, making you more trusting of a shady landlord.

Finding a new apartment can consume both your time and your energy, and even more so when you have to be on the lookout for apartment rental scams constantly.

At South Parc, a family-friendly apartment complex in Portland Oregon, we've gathered a few tips for you on how to reel in a real apartment with a reputable landlord that isn't trying to scam you.

Always Look Before You Buy

Perhaps this one seems obvious, but you would be surprised to find out just how many renters make up excuses as to why their new landlord can't show them the place, yet.

If you have a landlord unwilling or unable to show you the place they have up for rent, it probably means it's not their place. If you are relocating from far away and can't look at the place yourself, have a trusted friend or family member that's local take a look at it for you.

Stay Away from Sub-leasing

It's almost impossible to verify whether or not the original tenant is allowed to sub-lease to you. It is an easy way to facilitate an apartment rental scam, and it can even get both the original tenant, as well as yourself, evicted if the original lease doesn't allow for sub-leasing.To avoid any issues with eviction, convince the original tenant to add you onto the original lease.

Don't Do Cash Only

Not all landlords that deal in cash run apartment rental scams, but landlords who are up to no good usually do deal in cash since cash will never leave a trace. If your landlord is unwilling to accept anything but cash, do yourself a favor and move along. The same goes for landlords who require wire transfers.

Insist on a Lease

If a landlord insists that you don't need a lease, move along. Even in states that allow oral agreements to be legally binding, insist on a written lease. Also make sure that both homeowner and tenant sign this contract, and get a full copy of the lease

Know Who You Rent From

In the same vein as making sure the landlord has access to the property, making sure the landlord can prove homeownership is essential to avoid apartment rental scams. Don't take anything but documents with your landlord's name, and don't believe that the papers will be sent later.

If it Looks Too Perfect

If it looks too perfect, it probably is. If an apartment seems extra nice, and is going for several hundred dollars less than you were expecting to pat, be aware that it might be a scam. The same goes for listings that are worded differently but still has the same pictures. Scammers often borrow text and pictures from existing ads.

Don't Trust the Middleman

Make sure that you aren't walking straight into an apartment rental scam by meeting your actual landlord in person when looking at the apartment you want. Don't accept the word of a middleman. The middleman is especially common on platforms like Craigslist, and this includes property managers.

Don't Forget to do Your Research

Verify as much info as you can, both about the landlord and about your apartment. Running a reverse image search in Google of the pictures in the ad is a good way to find out if the place you're looking at is allready listed in other places. Also google real estate agents or companies if that is who you are dealing with.

The Price

Look into your area. Notice the average housing prices and see if your new place fits the monthly rent at your new place or not. Also make sure to verify with the landlord that the rent price will in fact be what was listed in the ad.

Talk to the Tenants

If the apartment you are looking to rent has tenants that currently live there, talk to them before signing the agreement. If you can get a hold of previous tenants that don’t have to worry about talking badly about the landlord, that is even better.

Thankfully, not everyone is out to scam you. As long as you stick with common sense and the abovementioned tips, chances are you will find a legit apartment to rent, without getting scammed out of your money. Good luck!

The post How to Avoid Apartment Rental Scams appeared first on South Parc Blog.

1. Follow the Posted Signage.

Those posted safety rules are there for a reason! Be sure to follow any rules that your
apartment complex may have when using their pool so that you and those around you
remain safe. Common safety rules include no high-impact jumps and no running near the
pool. If you do not follow the safety rules, you are likely to get kicked out of the apartment
pool area as well, which is not desirable for anyone.

2. Don’t Invite a Large Number of Guests.

While it usually is fine to invite one or two guests over to the pool (be sure to check with
your apartment office before assuming!), you should not bring a lot of guests unless you
have rented out the pool for a party. This policy makes sure that there is enough space in
and around the pool for the apartment’s residents.

3. Use Your Headphones.

You may love your music—but others may not! Blasting your music can be irritating to your
neighbors, especially if there are others playing theirs as well. To maintain your pool
etiquette, bring headphones. This way, you still can listen to your music while respecting
others’ desire for relative quiet. If you do not have a pair of headphones or earbuds, try to
keep your music to a respectful level.

4. Supervise Your Children.

Unsupervised children at the apartment pool can be dangerous. Unfortunately, the
lifeguard cannot take care of multiple people at once—if there is one on duty. Children have
the tendency to go against pool rules by either running or swimming without adult
supervision. Additionally, screaming children can disrupt what would otherwise be a nice
pool day for someone else. When supervising your children, be sure that they are on their
best behavior so that your neighbors can enjoy the pool as well.

5. Keep Your Language Appropriate.

The language that you may use within the comfort of your apartment might not be what is
considered appropriate or clean for others. While certain words may be okay for you, they
may offend other people.

Keep in mind as well that there may not be just adults at the pool;
children are likely to frequent apartment pools as well. By keeping your language free of
any cussing, swearing, or otherwise non-PG words, you can ensure that nearby children are
able to continue enjoying the pool with you.
With these tips in mind, you can make sure that your apartment pool remains a safe and
exciting getaway for your relaxation time!
 

The post How to Be an Awesome Neighbor at the Apartment Pool appeared first on South Parc Blog.

Challenge: Finding the safest possible apartment for your family to rent.

If you’re moving with a baby, when looking at a property you should speak to the landlord about the safety concerns you have about the space. Is the landlord flexible with things like screwing items into walls (anchoring bookshelves, installing baby gates)? This will give you a gauge on whether or not you can form a working relationship with this person.

As far as the apartment itself goes, keep an eye out for these potential problems:

• Watch for falling hazards: open staircases, etc. that can’t be blocked off by a gate?
   

• Do the window coverings have long cords or loops? These are a strangulation hazard and needs to be replaced, cut, or secured to the wall. Check with your landlord before you do anything so it doesn’t become a problem later.
   

• Check for odors in the apartment. Do your neighbors smoke? Cigarette smoke has been linked to SIDS and should be avoided.
   

• Lead paint is a concern in any property that was built before 1978. Check for chipping or flaking of paint around staircases, windows, and door frames on older apartment buildings.

Challenge: Blocking off potential dangers in your apartment home

Invest in baby gates. For apartments, you will be specifically looking for ‘pressure-mounted’ baby gates. Good news? Nothing needs to be installed for you to use it. There are discs on the gate that screw out to hold the gate against the wall.

If you have a set of stairs in your apartment, you’ll need a gate at the top of the stairs, which will have to be hard-mounted (screwed into the wall), so talk to your landlord. If it’s an issue with your manager, offer to fill and repaint holes that are left by the gate or consider paying to have this done.
 

Challenge: Securing Cabinets

There’s a large number of cabinet door locking systems that require screwing into the cabinetry, but there are still options. Shop around and find adhesive locks for baby-proofing your space.

Spend some time rethinking the layout of your storage space as well. Place pots, pans, and plastic items in the lower cabinets of your apartment while keeping breakables or dangerous items like medicines and cleaning products far out of reach from your little one.

Challenge: Keeping Toddlers from Escaping Through the Front Door

Some apartments have decorative door handles that no baby proof cover seems to fit. If installing a chain on the front door isn’t an option (in some cases, landlords will say no because of fire safety issues), a simple alarm system can alert you when the door is opened. 

Challenge: Preventing Falls from Windows

This is a vital, often overlooked part of baby proofing. Make sure that your child’s crib or bed isn’t next to a window and move any furniture that can be climbed on away from the window in their room. You can get window guards, but these need to be drilled into the frame- talk to your landlord. It’s worth the investment and it could save your little one’s life.

Conclusion

These are only a few of the points to consider when you’re baby proofing an apartment. For more tips, talk to your landlord and you both can work together to keep the babies in your life safe and sound!

The post How to Baby Proof Your Apartment appeared first on South Parc Blog.

Periodically Test Your Fire Alarms

In a well-run apartment building, the maintenance staff should be regularly checking fire alarms. But it never hurts to take some additional steps yourself. First of all, make sure batteries are installed correctly and working. Additionally, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) suggests replacing fire alarms every ten years. The USFA also recommends:

• Testing fire alarms once a month by pushing the test button
• Confirming that a fire alarm is in every bedroom in your apartment
• Using interconnected alarms – meaning when one sounds, they'll all go off

Remove Potential Fire Hazards in Your Apartment

Err on the side of caution and do regular apartment inspections to look for potential fire hazards. Common culprits include:

• Real candles
• Hotplates
• Dryers with accumulated lint
• Outlets that are overloaded
• Extension cords used extensively throughout the apartment
• Space heaters

Let Maintenance Staff Know About Fire Safety Issues

Keep an eye out for some fire safety issues that may need attention in your apartment building. For instance, report any exit or stairway doors that have been propped open. Doors left open won't be able to block fire as residents escape. Also, report instances of:

• Fire extinguishers that are either not in their designated location or clearly damaged
• Burned out emergency lights
• Damaged or missing smoke alarms, including ones in your own apartment unit

Be Prepared for a Fire

While well-managed apartment buildings often take steps to prevent fires, there are times when the unexpected does happen. And if it does, time is critical. You'll need to get yourself and your family out of your apartment building as quickly and efficiently as possible. Be as prepared for such situations as possible by:

• Knowing where the nearest exit is from your apartment
• Learning your building's fire evacuation plan
• Creating an escape plan specific to your apartment – and practicing it to make sure it's practical and efficient

Stay Calm as You Exit Your Apartment

If there is an actual fire, the first thing to do is remain calm. Call 9-1-1 and tell them your apartment number and the building's address. Feel the door first before exiting your apartment. If it's cool to the touch, it's safe to open. Find the nearest and safest exit and leave the building. Just remember to stay low to the ground since smoke rises to higher levels. But avoid using elevators, even if they are working. Instead, use the nearest stairway. Should your apartment door be warm/hot to the touch, however, do not open it. Instead, take the following actions:

• Let the 9-1-1 dispatcher know you are unable to safely exit your apartment.
• Use towels, rags, or tape to block cracks under doors and to cover vents.
• Wait by an open window.
• Use a white or brightly colored towel, sheet, or cloth to serve as a signal for firefighters.

Should there come a point where you are able to safely get outside without having to wait to be rescued, do not go back inside. If you think there may still be other tenants in their apartments, let the firefighters know.

January is the top month for apartment fires, and the most common time for fires to occur is between 3 and 10pm. Even so, it's best to be proactive about apartment fire safety at all times. Doing so will allow you to take advantage of the many benefits of apartment living with one less thing to worry about.

The post An Introduction to Apartment Fire Safety appeared first on South Parc Blog.