There’s a lot of advice available when it’s time to head off to college. Chances are, everyone you know has some nugget of wisdom to impart, whether or not you listen is another story. For the most part, your friends and loved ones only have your best interest at heart. However, if you don’t listen to anything else, the information below is vital if you’re thinking of living off campus.

Safety Should Come First

While there are many benefits to living off-campus during college, safety should be your number one concern. When you go on a tour of any off-campus housing, there are a few things that you should look for. These are listed below. 

• The building requires a key to get in the first door, and then a key to get into each individual apartment
• The building comes equipped with security cameras and alarms 
• The building has a security guard and a well-lit area and parking lot

These are only a few of the safety precautions that every off-campus housing complex should offer to keep their college residents safe. If none of this is offered, you need to head to the next stop on your list. 

Pests Are Real

When living at home, your parents probably took care of most household maintenance tasks like painting the house and repairing the dishwasher. They also handled any kind of infestation, whether it was mice, fleas, or spiders. Now that you’ll be on your own or living with friends, you’ll need to be sure you are doing everything you can to minimize the chances of having some unwanted pesky pest roommates as well. 

The first thing you can do is to make sure you aren’t leaving food out around the house or apartment. Yes, this includes last week’s pizza that’s under your bed! It’s a sure-fire magnet for ants and mice. Likewise, all trash needs to be disposed of properly outside. Make sure any garbage cans have tight fitting lids the neighborhood raccoons can’t open.

If you do find some creepy crawlies you’d like to evict, contacting a professional like the ones at moxieservices.com is the way to go. Don’t try to deal with chemicals and home remedies if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Location of the Neighborhood

While many college students think the biggest problem they will have is roommates that are too loud or don’t pay their share of the rent, if you aren’t careful what neighborhood you move into, your roommates will be the least of your problems. When scouting the neighborhood, ask neighbors if there are ever any problems there, and whether the people in the other apartments are loud or not. You’ll also want housing that is as close to the college you’re attending as you can get so that you don’t have to travel very far to get to classes on time. 

Screen Your Roommates Carefully

Speaking of roommates, you need to screen any possible candidates carefully before letting them move in with you. If you haven’t known the person moving in with you for a very long time, then you need to get a background check, credit check, and everything else before agreeing to let them move in. It pays to be super careful when searching for a roommate as the world is in chaotic and violent times, and it’s best to be safe instead of sorry. 

Items You Need

There are a few items that you need to set up your off-campus housing apartment, the right way. Those are listed below as well. 

• A good quality mattress 
• Bus pass or parking spot
• Kitchen items
• Bathroom items
• Renters insurance
• Fun things to do 
• A room dedicated to studying

These are just a few of the top things you should know when you’re looking into living in off-campus. Safety should indeed be your top priority, and you should never move into anywhere that doesn’t take safety as seriously as you and your parents do.