As off-campus students finish classes, study for exams and get packed up to head home for winter break, they need to remember to take care of their apartments as well.
Local apartment owners have been busy sending out newsletters over the past weeks, reminding residents of safety precautions they need to take to ensure their apartment stays secure while they're away.
Nina Woskob, of GN & Associates Realty, 119 S. Burrowes St., said the company sends out reminders to its residents containing a checklist of things they should take care of before leaving.
"The most important thing is to make sure all doors and windows are shut, electrical appliances are turned off, and garbage is thrown out," she said.
Another downtown realty company, A.W. and Sons, 309 E. Beaver Ave., sends out a holiday newsletter to its residents with instructions about what will change in the apartment complexes over break, such as which doors will be locked, and includes a list of holiday to-dos for residents.
A few things A.W. and Sons said students should make note to do before leaving town:
Kris Shaw (senior-marketing and international business), a resident of Garner Court 228 S. Garner St, which is owned by A.W. and Sons, said he received the newsletter in the mail, but since he will be staying in his apartment until later than most students, he isn't worrying about what needs to be done.
"I'm going to maintain the apartment the way it is now. I'll probably bring in the Christmas lights so they don't get stolen . . . though," Shaw said.
Shaw said he and his roommates hadn't talked much about unplugging appliances and electrical things.
"We're going to turn down the heat and feed the fish -- that's about it," he said. Another student, Raquel Reimann (senior-biology), a tenant at The Pointe, 501 Vairo Blvd., said she hadn't received a letter from her realtor, but saw a sign posted near her door which might have had some information on it. "I don't really pay attention to it," she said. "I'm the first one to leave, so I'm going to leave it up to my roommates to take care of everything. I'm sure they'll turn down the heat and stuff."
