One of the greatest benefits to living in an apartment is that you are among a community of other people who can look out for you when you need help with something and vice versa.
This goes way beyond just borrowing a cup of sugar.
Living in such close proximity to others, wouldn't you like it if they were another set of eyes keeping you safe?
I know I would.
Here are a few things that you should keep in mind when looking out for your neighbors and by the Golden Rule, they will be doing the same for you.
Smell Smoke- If you smell smoke or something burning, don't just sit around and ignore it. Investigate. Go outside and see if your neighbors are fanning the remnants of the smoke from their burnt to a crisp oven baked pizza. If you can't nail it down, but it doesn't seem to be going away, give the apartment management emergency line a call or if you see smoke call the fire department. Only you can prevent apartment fires!
Report Strangers- Seeing some suspicious characters around the community, sitting in cars, or wondering about? Report them to management. You may be stopping a burglar before he can commit a crime. It's all about crime watch. If you and all your neighbors are keeping an eye out, you can be better alert to what is going on.
Leaks- If you notice water coming into your apartment from another one, don't just sop it up with a towel and pretend like it never happened only to have it happen again. Instead, report it to your manager as soon as possible and knock on your neighbors door at a reasonable hour to let them know that something is leaking. They may not even know that their water cooler had a leak or something like that.
Pets- Know your neighbors pets, so that if you see that they have gotten loose, you can help round them up until they get home or help to keep them out of trouble. Neighbors also make really great pet sitters too!
Always be sure to keep your ears and eyes open. Wouldn't you want your neighbors to do the same for you? Lets make our apartment communities rock with safety!
