For university students, the thought of living off-campus can be exciting and terrifying. You want to find a place that’s close to campus, well within your budget, and—above all—safe. While it would be nice to be around the corner from your food joint, after an all-nighter or a night out, it’s important to be able to get home without fear and sleep without feeling you have to keep one eye open.
Locating an apartment or house can be especially daunting if you’re unfamiliar with the area (we’re talking about you, freshmen!), but it certainly isn’t impossible—you just need to know what to look for. That’s why we tapped safety and security experts for their tips on finding a safe place to live and how to make sure your university home is as secure as possible.
Related: A University Student Guide To Living On Your Own
Do your research
Before you start pulling up apartment listings, narrow your search area by finding the neighbourhoods with low crime ratings. Your first stop should be the internet. It can give you up-to-date info on what areas to avoid, as well as locations with a high crime rate.
Once you’ve done that, it’s time to go for a drive. Maybe a few of them, at different times of the day or night.
Take a ride through the neighbourhoods and surrounding streets to get a gut feeling. If you feel the area may be unsafe, it likely is.
Find the right building
Some building types are safer than others. You should look for apartment buildings with interior hallways and, if possible, a manager’s office.
Ideally, a unit on the second floor or higher is better, as they are less prone to break-ins. But also near a stairwell, for an easy escape in case of fire.
You’ll also want to consider the routes to school from each potential location.
Will you have to cross any major highways, cut through yards, or pass through any areas that aren’t well lit?.
Take a good look outside
It’s probably the interior of the apartment you’re more interested in, but Take a good look at the outside of the house or building as well.
Check out the landscaping first. There should be no shrubs higher than 2 feet against the building or in front of windows, and all trees should be trimmed to at least 5 feet high.
This helps eliminate places people can hide. You’ll also want a well-lit path to the main entrance and a well-lit parking area.
Make sure the grounds are well-maintained
A lot of off-campus housing tends to be older homes and buildings—which is fine, as long as they’ve been taken care of over the years.
You need to know if it’s being well-maintained. You want to check things like the electric and plumbing because those are all common sources of fires and other health concerns.
If you’re not savvy in those areas, consider bringing along a friend or family member who is, or asking the landlord to provide any inspection reports from recent years.
Check the safety features
Make sure the building you’re looking to rent in has solid doors and deadbolts. You should also check that all windows have working locks, especially if you’re on the first floor.
The best-case scenario, of course, an affordable spot with a security system. In that case, check what it includes.
Look for someplace with cameras, gate access or a premises guard, and fire prevention measures in place.
Easy safety upgrades
There are some easy and inexpensive upgrades you can do to make your living off-campus housing even safer.
If your landlord doesn’t already do so, you should change the locks.
You don’t know who’s had those keys. You should specify in the lease that you want new locks installed.
Make sure your entryway is well-lit by swapping the ordinary bulbs in any porch or outside light fixtures with LED bulbs in the highest wattage approved for that fixture.
Fire prevention measures are generally required in all residences, although some do not mandate it. Check for fire extinguishers and have your landlord replace any that are broken or missing—or, if necessary, replace them yourself.
You can get them cheaply, and they more than double your chances of surviving in a fire.
Not only do they help you see intruders, but they will turn on for you and help you find your keys so you can get in the door quickly.
Living off-campus is a thrill but you need to be safe in order to enjoy your home as well as education.