Summer is here, and that means vacations and graduations are in full swing. By this point, I’m sure that you have planned most of your trips, down to the places that you’ll stay, where you will be going and the restaurants you’ll be dining at. These things are important to think about when planning a trip. However, securing your apartment is something that should be on your to-do list as well.  

Check your doors and windows

Checking your doors and windows a couple of weeks before you leave for vacation is essential. Doing this in advance will help you to figure out if all your door and window hinges are working correctly and to be proactive about it if something needs a repair. The farther in advance, the better, that way maintenance would be able to fix anything before you leave. Fixing these issues ensures that your apartment will be safe during the duration of your trip.

Checking your smoke alarms

Nothing is more frustrating than when your smoke alarm beeps to signal low battery, or it beeps while you’re cooking a steak. While on vacation you don’t want to lock up your room with a low battery smoke detector, especially if you live with other roommates or pets. By replacing the batteries in your sensor before you leave will ensure that you don’t bother anyone with the loud noises.  

Pets are important too

If you decide not to board your pets during vacation, then you should make arrangements with a trusted neighbor or friend to keep watch of them while you’re away. Also, you should leave your veterinarians’ contact information with the person that will be taking care of your animals, just in case something was to happen.  

Ask a friend to keep an eye on your place

Asking a trusted friend or neighbor to watch your apartment while you’re away is always a good idea, that way someone can keep an eye out and make sure nothing out of the ordinary is going on while you’re unable. Make sure that the people you’ve trusted have your number along with an emergency contact for you to call in case something were to go wrong.  

These are the few things to do to make sure your apartment is safe as can be. After checking all these boxes, you are well on your way to full R&R mode.