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Health & Safety
Staying safe and well in off-campus housing — apartment security, renter safety, and handling health and emergencies away from home.
What NAU Students Should Check Before Signing a Flagstaff Lease: Snow, Heating and Parking
Before you sign an NAU off campus housing lease, check six things: who must shovel the sidewalk, what the landlord owes you on heat, where your street sits in the plow priority, whether your parking is legal November through April, which permit you need, and what winter utilities cost.
Do College Students Need Renters Insurance for Off-Campus Housing?
Yes. If your name is on an off-campus lease, you need renters insurance for students, and it runs roughly $15 to $30 a month according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Your parents' homeowners policy usually covers a dorm room but stops at the door of a leased apartment, because insurers treat that lease as a separate residence. Most managed student buildings in 2026 require proof of coverage before they hand over keys, typically $100,000 in personal liability.
The Safest Neighborhoods for UW-Milwaukee Students
UWM students who care about safe neighborhoods mostly cluster on the Upper East Side, in Murray Hill, up around North Point by Lake Park, or across the line in Shorewood. But near UW-Milwaukee, safety is less about the block you pick and more about using the free tools your tuition already buys: the B.O.S.S. safe-ride van, the Safe Walkers, blue-light phones, and the RAVE Guardian app.
How to Avoid Rental Scams When Renting Student Housing
Renters lost $65M to rental scams in 2025, and 18–29-year-olds get hit 3x as often. Here's how to spot fake listings, avoid unsafe payments, and protect your deposit.
Do College Students Need Renters Insurance? What It Covers and What It Costs
Renters insurance covers four things: your stuff (personal property), your legal responsibility if someone gets hurt or their property gets damaged (liability), a guest's medical bills after an accident in your place (medical payments), and your extra costs if a fire or flood forces you out (loss of use). For most college students living off campus, a policy runs about $14 to $25 a month, or roughly $150 to $300 a year, and yes, you almost certainly need it.
Does Renters Insurance Cover Stolen Items? What Students Need to Know
Yes, renters insurance covers stolen items — your laptop, bike, phone, and clothes are covered against theft whether they're taken from your apartment, your car, the library, or while you're traveling. The payout comes minus your deductible and is capped by your coverage limit.
8 Red Flags When Renting as a Student
The student rental horror stories we hear at FMP all seem to open with the same sentence: "I knew something was off but I signed anyway." These are the eight red flags we see come up over and over, usually right before the regret sets in — plus what to do if you already signed.
What to Look for in a Student Lease: 12 Red Flags
Twelve clauses in a standard student lease do most of the financial damage — from joint-and-several liability to auto-renewal traps to pre-filled condition reports. Missing any one of them can cost you $500 to $2,500.
How to Avoid Bad Student Apartments & Rental Scams
Most student housing rental scams fit five patterns — the traveling owner, the copied listing, the fake property management email, the pressure sign, and the Zelle deposit demand. Here's how to spot them, verify listings, and recover if you've been scammed.
7 Student Housing Scams to Avoid Before You Sign
