Is Renters' Insurance Really Necessary?
by Dan The Roommate Man
You and your landlord share a common goal: You both want to ensure the protection of your interests. Obtaining a security deposit from you -- usually ranging from $100 to a full month's rent, and averaging $250 -- is how your landlord obtains a degree of insurance from you. The deposit covers your landlord should you cause any damage to your apartment while you are a tenant. Your landlord, in turn, may keep the deposit if you fail to pay your rent or you leave before the end of your lease. However, if, as a tenant, you keep your end of the bargain -- following the terms of your lease and leaving your apartment in good condition when you leave -- the deposit is refundable.
So how do you protect your own interests as a tenant? Renters' insurance. If you're an apartment-dweller, you're probably accustomed to brochures dangling from your door that advertise various renters' insurance policies. And if you're like many renters, you probably disregard them. But you may want to consider taking out insurance. Before you say, "But I'm not going to cause any damage to my apartment," remember that renters don't always cause damage themselves. Mother nature, or other tenants with little regard for your property, could prove to be the source of your problems later.
According to Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, policies typically provide coverage for the following renters' pitfalls:
- Damage to personal property from fire or wind
- Theft
- Personal liability in the event you are sued over accidental injury to others who are in your apartment
- Accidental damage to property of others in your care
- Living expenses if you are forced to live elsewhere while your apartment is being repaired
This list doesn't begin to elaborate on the multitude of other possibilities for disaster: An electrical surge fries your computer, television, and/or stereo; while visiting your neighbor, you tip over his barbecue and start a fire; or you accidentally cause injury to someone away from your apartment; and the list goes on and on. And of course, as we've all discovered, we can never discount such crazy-sounding possibilities -- because they can and do happen if and only if we're not prepared (or covered) for them.
Note that renters' insurance policies may differ according to the insurance company in question, as well as the laws in your state. An insurance representative will be able to determine what type of policy best meets your needs. If you've thrown away all of those brochures dangling from your door handle, the Internet is a good place to do your homework -- specifically apartment-search sites. Links to renters' insurance information will fill you in on the details, and you may apply online.
The Bare Necessities
by Dan The Roommate Man
You're a twentysomething fresh out of college. You've landed a job, and the world is your oyster. Tonight, you're spending your first night in your new apartment. Or perhaps you're newly single and suddenly striking out on your own for the first time in years. For example, you lose your electricity, and suddenly, it hits you that you should have purchased a reliable flashlight. Take some time to assemble a home "first aid kit," for lack of a better term. This kit will be your compilation of necessities. The average first-time homeowner/renter never considers their importance until they're needed desperately -- and right away.
As mentioned above, you'll need to get yourself a good flashlight, and stock up on batteries while you're at it. 
The Bare Necessities
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Marketplace Overtaking Rent Control,
by Dan The Roommate Man
Rent control is one of those concepts that seems like a good idea, at least until you think about it for more than 60 seconds -- an unusual event in an era of bumper-sticker philosophies and instant analysis.
The modern rent control era began with the federal Emergency Price Control Act of 1942. Such legislation was enacted while the country was at war both in Europe and Asia, and there was a need to prevent profiteering at home. Once the war was over, the need for price controls went away -- except for rent control.
In 1946, for example, despite the fact that we won the war and no emergency was in sight, the "Emergency Housing Rent Control Law" was passed in New York state, and that law still represents the basis for the control of Marketplace Overtaking Rent Control,
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Saving Space in the One-Room or Small Apartment
by Dan The Roommate Man
Whether you are living in a small apartment or a tiny efficiency apartment, there are ways to make your home cozy, practical, and attractive. No longer are you bound by the confines of designated space - you can make up your home's character and allot space as you see fit. To make your one-room or small home a place you love to come home to - make sure you arrange and decorate your belongings to suit your activities and interests.
Space planning begins with thinking through how you plan to live on a d ay-by-day basis. Start with waking up, grabbing breakfast, going to work, coming home, relaxing and spending your evening hours. Think about how each of these activities would be made easier and more comfortable with the right amount of sp Saving Space in the One-Room or Small Apartment
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Signing a Roommate Pre-nup
by Dan The Roommate Man
You're just graduating from college. You and your new roommate are moving into your first off-campus apartment. Now you can just kick back, relax, and enjoy the real world. Right? Wrong! The real world walks hand in hand with real responsibility. Just as there are new freedoms and new opportunities, there are also new things to consider. One thing that's incredibly helpful, but generally overlooked, is knowing how to lay some ground rules with your new roommate.
So you're thinking "Hey! I'm moving in with my best friend since 1st grade! We've never had any problems getting along. We'll have a great time!" Well, maybe so... but you can never predict what might happen once you start sharing everything from the same kitchen to the same bat Signing a Roommate Pre-nup
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