Travel Prep Tips for Renters: How to Prepare Your Apartment Before Vacation

Vacations are something that most people look forward to as they’re a break from work and responsibilities to relax and unwind. Yet, before you can let loose, you need to leave everything in order, so nothing goes wrong while you’re gone, including getting your apartment squared away. Get ready for a worry-free vacation by finding out how to prepare your apartment before traveling.

Key Takeaways

• Check your lease and notify your landlord before extended travel, as many agreements require notice after just a few days away. Looping in neighbors can also help prevent security concerns while you’re gone.
• Adjust utilities to prevent costly damage: set your thermostat 5–10 degrees from normal, manage water based on season, and unplug electronics to reduce fire and surge risks.
• Secure and simplify your return by locking all entry points, hiding valuables, cleaning your apartment, and arranging care for pets, plants, mail, and parking to avoid issues while you’re away.

Inform Your Landlord

While informing your friends and family that you’ll be gone is often the first thing that comes to mind, there’s one more person who you need to inform: your landlord. Landlords need to know if you’ll be gone for an extended period of time. Leases often have clauses in them that will tell you exactly when you need to inform your landlord. For example, if you’re gone for more than four days, you may need to inform your landlord.

If you know your neighbors, feel free to let them know as well. This is also helpful in case you hire someone to check on your apartment or pets, so they aren’t alarmed to see a stranger coming and going from your home.

Take Care of Your Utilities

The next step in your travel prep checklist should be taking care of your utilities. This means more than just setting up your utility bills on autopay; it includes everything from turning off lights to setting the right temperature.

Check water

What you will do with your water depends on the time of the year and your rental situation. For warmer months, you may want to completely turn off your water to limit leaks or to keep small plumbing failures from becoming a much bigger problem. If it’s cold out, you should let your faucets drip to minimize the risk of a burst pipe. Talk to your landlord before doing anything; they might have a specific procedure they want you to follow.

Set your thermostat

Instead of completely turning off your HVAC, adjust the temperature five to ten degrees to what you normally keep it set to. During the hotter seasons, raise the temperature; in colder months, lower it. While you still may use a little energy, it keeps your apartment in an acceptable temperature range, preventing any problems like humidity issues, protecting pipes, and preventing damage to floors, furniture, or anything else in your apartment.

Unplug electronics

Unplugging your electronics is important before vacation because it saves a bit of electricity, but it also reduces fire risk and prevents damage if a power surge or outage occurs. Outlets and power strips can fail when no one is around, potentially sparking, burning, and even starting a fire. Or a power outage can send voltage spikes through your expensive electronics, causing them harm. Give yourself peace of mind by unplugging anything electronic before you leave on vacation.

Turn off all lights

Though lights are one of the less expensive draws on your electricity, you still want to use as little energy as possible when you aren’t home to save on your bill and usage. Though unlikely, turned-on lights can also be a potential fire hazard, especially when there is no one around to catch overheating or another issue. Turning off all the lights takes care of both of these problems.

However, lights are also a great security measure that can make a home look occupied. Consider getting a timer, smart plug, or smart light as they provide a more normal lighting schedule instead of a light that’s on 24/7.

Secure Your Apartment

Another important task in prepping your apartment is securing it and everything inside. That way you can relax on your vacation without worrying about break-ins or other security compromises.

Put away valuables

The best way to protect your valuables is by putting them away or hiding them. As the saying goes: out of sight, out of mind. If you want to take it a step further, secure them in a safe or lock box.

Lock all entry points

Make sure all doors, windows, and any other entry points are locked and secure. For additional security, renter-friendly methods like a door security bar, security cameras, or motion sensors can help protect your home.

Additional Apartment Prep Before You Leave

A few final steps can help keep your apartment in good shape while you’re away and make your return much easier. Before you leave, take care of these loose ends.

Clean your apartment

Cleaning your apartment before you leave gets it all set and ready for when you come back, as well as making one less chore you’ll have to do when you return home. Save yourself some time and energy by doing a deep clean before you leave. Take out the trash, do the laundry, clean out your fridge, and leave things tidy.

Hold your mail

If you’re going to be gone for a while, then consider putting your mail on hold by contacting the post office. This prevents mail from piling up in your mailbox.

Make a pet care plan

In an ideal world, you could take your pet on every vacation, but sometimes you have to leave them behind. Ensure your pet gets the care and attention they need by hiring a pet sitter or scheduling a stay at a boarding facility before you leave. Leaving a pet alone for too long can lead to stress, accidents, and damage to your apartment.

Decide on plant care

Depending on how long you’ll be away, make a plan for your plants, too. Ask a friend or neighbor to water them or use self-watering tools to keep them healthy while you’re gone. That way you can come back to a lush apartment filled with greenery instead of one filled with wilted leaves and dried-out soil.

Plan where to park

If you’re leaving your car behind, then you need to be considerate of the parking situation. Talk to your landlord or apartment community manager to see if they have any preferences or policies, like parking it out of highly-frequented areas. Some apartment communities ticket or tow cars that stay in the same spot for too long, so verify the parking rules before you leave. If you’re really concerned about your car, consider leaving it with a friend or family member instead.

Make Sure You Have Renters Insurance Before Traveling

Though these travel prep tips will help mitigate problems, you still need to be covered in case anything happens. This is where renters insurance comes in. It is a specialized type of coverage that protects your belongings from damage or theft so you can go on vacation without worry. Find out everything you need to know about renters insurance on Renterverse to ensure your personal property is covered.