Being an ideal renter goes beyond simply paying your rent on time, although that is number 1! It also involves cultivating a positive and respectful relationship with the Property Manager or Housing Provider while fostering your home and the sense of community within other Residents. Whether you're a first-time renter or looking to enhance your renting experience, here are some essential tips to help you become an ideal renter. 

5 Ways to Reduce Your Water Bill in Your Bathroom

With environmental concerns, especially a lack of clean drinking water, becoming increasingly urgent, saving water in our homes has never been more crucial. By implementing small changes in your daily routine, you can make a more positive impact on the environment than you might expect.Adopting water-saving practices in your bathroom, reduces your utility bill, and also contributes to a more sustainable future. To help get you started, try these 5 simple tips to start practicing good water conservation in your own bathroom.

As we hit the warmest months of the year, it’s a good time to remember that cooling down an apartment can really heat up energy bills. Luckily, some of the easiest ways to lower cooling costs are also some of the least expensive. Just keeping blinds and curtains closed during the hottest parts of the day—usually between noon and 6 pm—is amazingly effective in keeping heat out. Bonus efficiency points for getting lighter-colored curtains, which reflect heat. Black-out curtains also provide extra protection because the tightly woven fabric won’t let the sunlight through. Of course, if the blinds are closed, that means more lights will probably be on. Make sure fixtures have cool, energy-efficient bulbs like LEDs. They’ll produce less heat than regular bulbs and require a lot less energy for the same amount of light. 

Spring is definitely in the air, and that means it’s time for a closet clean out. Whether some things aren’t “bringing you joy” or you’re simply running out of space, now is a good time to say, “Out with the old and in with the new.” But before heaving unwanted items into the garbage can, remember that many charitable organizations like Goodwill and the Salvation Army are still accepting used clothing, furniture and household items. Plus, the Humane Society and the SPCA will often take used linens and towels for the pooches and kitties in their care. Pick the organization or cause you care about and there’s probably something you want to get rid of that they can either reuse or resell. You get a fresh start—and a nice tax write off as well. 

Here at Livable, we love finding out about the coolest new green products. That’s why we’ve partnered with Clean + Green to bring our residents an exclusive discount code for their eco- and pet-friendly cleaning supplies. Simply go to becleanandgreen.com and enter the promo code LIVE10 (all caps) at check out. These innovative products do everything from keeping fruits and veggies fresh longer in the fridge to deodorizing Fido’s favorite napping spot, all with no harmful chemicals. 

At this point everyone has at least one (and probably a lot more) reusable bags. But there are many other ways to replace boring and unsustainable single-use items with reusable versions that have more style and the added benefit of keeping plastics out of our waste stream.

One of the easiest ways to save money and resources is to buy major workout gear second-hand. Many people buy brand new treadmills or exercise bikes only to let them sit gathering dust, and will be more than happy to sell them via Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace at a savings of 50 percent or more over buying new. 

Did you know that many of the ways we traditionally celebrate Valentine’s Day don’t show a lot of love for the earth? This year, ditch the roses, which often require heavy pesticides and are shipped in from South America or even Africa. Try giving something local and sustainable like a potted plant from a neighborhood garden store. Instead of some cut flowers that die in a week, they’ll have a living, growing symbol of your affection. (Succulents are a great water-saving, hard-to-kill option for a sweetheart with no green thumb.) 

Electronic devices are always sucking up energy, even when they’re not in use. Research shows these sneaky energy vampires can account for 5 to 10 percent of an average household’s energy consumption, as well as about 1 percent of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions. It can be a pain to unplug printers or computers all the time, so instead, get a smart power strip that will automatically shut down power to devices in standby mode. Some of these strips even come with a motion sensor that automatically turns off power to some of its outlets if the room is empty for an extended period of time. 

As the dog days of summer arrive, many people arrive home from a hot day out and immediately want a cool and refreshing drink. Rather than running the tap and waiting for cool water to arrive, simply fill a pitcher of water and keep it chilled in the fridge. Showers are also more frequent in the summer. Try turning off the water for a few minutes while soaping up to save gallons every day. And definitely choose a shower over a bath, which uses 35 to 50 gallons of water, while an 8-minute shower with a low-flow showerhead uses only 20 gallons.