2023 Apartment Guide

In the event that a power outage occurs, you want to have a flashlight with working batteries easily accessible. There’s nothing worse than being in the dark only to realize you don’t own a flashlight, or that the batteries are dead. The most common battery sizes for flashlights, remotes, smoke detectors, and other household items are AA and AAA. Another option is to keep candles and matches handy in the event you lose power.

Avoid the scenario of realizing you don’t have bandaids when you really need one. Purchasing a first aid kit now will save you the hassle later on, and help you be prepared.

One of the benefits of renting is having maintenance technicians who can easily make repairs to your apartment. Although you may not need your toolkit often, it comes in handy when you want to measure your space for furniture, or if you purchase furniture that requires at home assembly.

You may be the most responsible person you know, but can you count on your neighbors to be as responsible? Renter’s Insurance may not be top of mind as you’re moving into and decorating your apartment, but it will protect the items you’ve carefully purchased to make the space feel like home. 

Champion requires every tenant to provide proof of renter’s insurance prior to move-in. For more information about Champion’s renter’s insurance requirements, please visit our FAQ page.

A quick list of your credit cards, insurance information, and other essentials will help you act quickly to secure replacements or place holds on any accounts if you lose your wallet. Consider storing your wallet list in a fireproof safe with other important documents you don’t want to be lost or damaged.

Keeping a small fire extinguisher in your kitchen for emergencies will allow you to put out any fires faster, and can sometimes save you money off of your monthly renter’s insurance cost! Mini fire extinguishers can be purchased off Amazon or at a home improvement store.

Air filters should be replaced on average every three months, and potentially more often depending on the number of pets in your home. Champion supplies our tenants with free air filters! Set a reminder for yourself every 3 months to place a work order to have your filters replaced by a maintenance technician.

Typically you can submit a non-emergency maintenance request to have a light bulb replaced. At Champion, our maintenance team replaces the light bulbs for the light fixtures that come with your apartment, but extra bulbs are handy for any additional lighting such as floor lamps, bedside lamps, etc.

Oftentimes, apartment living means sharing walls with your neighbors. Ways to reduce traveling sound for your comfort and the comfort of others include laying down an area rug and adding throw pillows to soft seating. Another clever way to reduce traveling sound is by wearing house shoes or slippers!

In the event of an emergency, we recommend having your Vet’s contact information saved in your phone and posted on your refrigerator. Additionally, have an ID tag on your pet’s collar with your phone number so you can be easily contacted.

It’s common in apartment living to receive multiple keys upon move-in. In addition to the key to your new home, you may also receive a mailbox key and possibly a key fob for access to common areas and amenities that are for residents only.

If you live somewhere that gets snow seasonally, it may come in handy to have a small snow shovel in your home. At Champion, our maintenance team treats the roads and sidewalks of the community before the snow occurs, and shovels the community after the snow arrives!

Before moving in, think about what devices you’ll want in your home. You may want  Internet access immediately upon move-in for work or streaming services. Or you may want to get cable TV. Whatever you decide, schedule those appointments or purchase the electronics before your move-in date.

Having trash bags on hand during move-in is great as you unpack and put rooms together. Paper towels and cleaning supplies allow you to wipe items down as you go that may have gotten dirty during the move or while in storage.

A cart can be extremely useful to get your groceries or shopping bags from your car to your apartment home! Carts work best in hotel style apartment communities that have elevators, or if you live on the first floor of your community.

Before moving-in to your new apartment home, most communities will ask that you transfer utilities such as electricity, gas, and water into your name. At Champion, our Community Managers complete this transfer for you for a seamless move to your new home!

Shower curtains are great for privacy, whereas a shower curtain liner helps keep the water in the tub, instead of on the bathroom floor!

A quick and easy way to make an apartment feel like home is by adding personal touches, such as photos! Easily hang your photos with a picture hanging kit, which can be purchased from Amazon or at a home improvement store.

Power strips with multiple plugs are great for living rooms and bedrooms to be able to plug-in more than a couple electronic devices at a time.

Hangers to put clothes away will help to declutter your space as you unpack. If your home has a washer and dryer, you may want to wash clothes, bedding, blankets, and towels immediately upon move-in so that everything feels fresh and clean.

Having a vacuum upon move-in will allow you to quickly clean up any messes created by the move-in process, and keep your apartment clean as you make the space feel like home!