Easy Ways to Make Your Gainesville Apartment Community a Better Place to Live

Once you move into an apartment, you become part of a community. As part of a community, you have the opportunity to make the neighborhood a better place for yourself and the other folks who live there.

This does not mean you have to be a social butterfly at parties or volunteer a lot of your time; it simply means that by following a few simple guidelines you and your neighbors can create a happy, peaceful environment that everyone will appreciate and enjoy.

How, then, can you make your Gainesville apartment community a better place to live? Consider these easy tips:

1. Be careful in the parking lot—Drive slowly and watch for pedestrians, children, and animals. Keep your music low, don’t blow your horn, and avoid loud conversations.
2. Exercise common courtesy—Loud parties are obviously disturbing to those around you, but there are other everyday activities that may also wake up or otherwise bother your neighbors such as slamming doors, shouting, and turning up the volume. When it comes to noise, always think of those who live around you.
3. Be careful with fire hazards—Do not leave candles unattended, avoid smoking when you are tired or in bed, and unplug appliances when you are done with them. Always know the location of your fire extinguisher, too.
4. Keep your apartment and vehicle locked at all times—Even if you leave them unattended for a moment. Also make sure your windows and sliding glass doors are secure, and don’t hide spare keys outside your apartment.
5. Report suspicious behavior—Call 911 anytime you notice unsafe behavior or situations on the property.
6. Meet your neighbors—You don’t have to be best friends with the residents around you if you don’t want to, but knowing your neighbors can be very comforting because it helps you learn who belongs in the community and who doesn’t.
7. Get renters insurance—The management company’s insurance does not cover your belongings if they are damaged, destroyed, or stolen. Renters insurance does cover your belongings and it also protects you from liability if someone is hurt in your apartment.

All in all, making your Gainesville apartment community a better place to live involves treating others as you would like to be treated, as well as employing a few common sense strategies to keep yourself out of harm’s way. When every resident works together, disturbances can be kept to a minimum while leisure time is at a maximum.