| When you leave your home unoccupied for a long | | | | anybody there. |
| period oftime, it becomes more vulnerable to | | | | The person watching your apartment while you're |
| burglars. If there arestacks of old newspapers | | | | awayshould be instructed on how to use your |
| outside, dark windows, mailfalling out of your | | | | alarm system. Theyshould also be given whatever |
| mailbox and curtains that are closed,you're | | | | numbers they need to have incase of emergency. |
| advertising to a burglar that nobody is home. | | | | If you aren't going to have someone housesitting |
| A great way to decreasing the likelihood that a | | | | foryou, it is extremely important to stop any |
| burglarwill break in to your apartment while you're | | | | deliveries, putyour mail on hold and have the |
| away is tofind someone to housesit for you. Ask | | | | newspaper stopped. It's bestto make this |
| a trusted friend tostay there until you return. | | | | effective the day BEFORE you go away to |
| Your friend can feed your petsand water your | | | | makesure they are stopped. When newspapers |
| plants while, at the same time, making | | | | are piling up andthe mail is falling out of the |
| suresomeone is actually living in the house while | | | | mailbox, burglars know thatthe house is empty. |
| you're gone. | | | | You might try asking one of your closeneighbors |
| One of your neighbors probably wouldn't mind | | | | to pick up any packages that they see have |
| going intoyour apartment to check on it. They can | | | | beendelivered to your door. |
| turn on some of thelights, TVs, and radios while | | | | The plants that are sitting on your balcony have |
| there. It is also a good ideato have them open | | | | to bewatered regularly. You may also decide to |
| and close some of the curtains to givethe | | | | place your plantswhere they are out of sight. |
| appearance from the street that there is | | | | Wilted plants that are slowlydying from lack of |
| someone there. | | | | water is a clear indication to a burglarthat you |
| If you're finding it difficult to locate a good | | | | aren't there. |
| neighboror friend to visit or apartmentsit for you | | | | You may want to take a look at your lease. More |
| until you getback -- maybe even if you do -- you | | | | and morelandlords are requiring that tenants notify |
| should leave a kitchenlight on. Make sure to put a | | | | them if theyare going to be away from the |
| TV or radio on a timeraccording to your normal | | | | apartment for an extendedtime period. It may be |
| schedule. Many people have the TVon most of | | | | necessary for them to go into yourapartment if |
| the time. If no sound is coming from | | | | there is an emergency and they can't reachyou. If |
| yourapartment and the curtain is left open with | | | | someone is housesitting for you, you probably |
| the light on,everyone knows that there isn't | | | | won'thave to do this. |