Thwarting thieves over the holidays
The Housing Mediation Service, in the Student Success Centre (F2010), provides information to help students, landlords and neighbours with issues around living in the London community. There are two main issues that students face when approaching December exams and holidays.
Protect your home
Thieves are aware that students leave London after their exams and that students own stereos, laptops, TVs, etc. — all good items for the illicit resale market. Don't be a victim! Here are tips to keep criminals away while you're away:
Ask a neighbour who's staying throughout the break to park their car on your driveway.
Have your driveway snow shoveled.
Use automatic timers to turn lights, television, and radios on and off.
Ask your neighbour or landlord to pick up your mail, newspapers, and flyers.
Leave a radio playing, preferably on a talk station, set to a low volume.
Hide valuable goods, or take them with you.
Protect your relationships
When you move in with friends, you assume things will naturally be OK. After the ‘honeymoon' phase, annoying habits can lead to arguments and roommate problems. This escalates during exams when everybody is stressed. Common problems with roommates include cleanliness (or not), garbage, hogging amenities (TV, phone, etc.), theft, chores, pets, schedule conflicts, pranks, guests, noise, paying bills, and lifestyle choices.
Even small and unimportant issues, when ignored, may escalate into something more than petty bickering. If you notice you and your roommate(s) are having problems, keep in mind that fights usually arise from multi-faceted problems, such as: lack of sleep, exam stress, family or relationship problems, illness, homesickness, and a feeling of lacking control. Here are some solutions to ease tension and solve problems:
Most important: sign a Roommate Accord! It's available outside the Student Success Centre (F-2010).
Create a cleaning schedule showing when and who is responsible for a specific task.
Assign a utility bill to each roommate, so that no one person is responsible for all the bills.
Create a joint bank account for the household, making it easier to combine funds.
Lock up valuable items, such as laptops, jewelry, money, etc.
Put your name on food items so there's no misunderstanding of who owns what.
Wear headphones, turn down the bass, shut your door, or, play your music when your roommates are out.
Be mindful of your roommates' schedules, and post schedules in a common area.
If the situation gets rough, roommate mediation is offered through the Housing Mediation Service in Room F-2010.
Protect your home
Thieves are aware that students leave London after their exams and that students own stereos, laptops, TVs, etc. — all good items for the illicit resale market. Don't be a victim! Here are tips to keep criminals away while you're away:
Ask a neighbour who's staying throughout the break to park their car on your driveway.
Have your driveway snow shoveled.
Use automatic timers to turn lights, television, and radios on and off.
Ask your neighbour or landlord to pick up your mail, newspapers, and flyers.
Leave a radio playing, preferably on a talk station, set to a low volume.
Hide valuable goods, or take them with you.
Protect your relationships
When you move in with friends, you assume things will naturally be OK. After the ‘honeymoon' phase, annoying habits can lead to arguments and roommate problems. This escalates during exams when everybody is stressed. Common problems with roommates include cleanliness (or not), garbage, hogging amenities (TV, phone, etc.), theft, chores, pets, schedule conflicts, pranks, guests, noise, paying bills, and lifestyle choices.
Even small and unimportant issues, when ignored, may escalate into something more than petty bickering. If you notice you and your roommate(s) are having problems, keep in mind that fights usually arise from multi-faceted problems, such as: lack of sleep, exam stress, family or relationship problems, illness, homesickness, and a feeling of lacking control. Here are some solutions to ease tension and solve problems:
Most important: sign a Roommate Accord! It's available outside the Student Success Centre (F-2010).
Create a cleaning schedule showing when and who is responsible for a specific task.
Assign a utility bill to each roommate, so that no one person is responsible for all the bills.
Create a joint bank account for the household, making it easier to combine funds.
Lock up valuable items, such as laptops, jewelry, money, etc.
Put your name on food items so there's no misunderstanding of who owns what.
Wear headphones, turn down the bass, shut your door, or, play your music when your roommates are out.
Be mindful of your roommates' schedules, and post schedules in a common area.
If the situation gets rough, roommate mediation is offered through the Housing Mediation Service in Room F-2010.
