Looking for a roommate to share your luxury apartment in Dallas with? Finding the perfect roommate can be challenging and stressful, especially since a roommate relationship can make or break your apartment living experience. To make the process just a little bit easier, we’re compiling our top five tips to help in your search for the ideal roommate.

Post on a Specialized App or Online Forum

You’re far from the first person to need help finding a roommate, which thankfully means there are plenty of specialized apps and forums dedicated to it. Posting on Craigslist is a classic way to start, but there’s no need to stop there. Try posting in your city’s subreddit, or check out Roommates.com, Roomster, and Roomi.

Get The Word Out On Social

Asking around the old-fashioned way can sometimes yield the best results. Let folks know you’re looking for a roommate by posting on your social media accounts. You might just find a friend of a friend who’s in the same boat.

In addition to social media, talk in person with your friends, family, and even coworkers about how you’re looking for a roommate. Often, networking with the people who know you best can result in the best roommate matches.

Plan Ahead As Much As Possible

You don’t always have the luxury of a flexible time frame, but give yourself as much time as possible to find the right roommate for you. That means as soon as you know you need a roommate, start getting the word out through all the relevant channels. This will give you time to vet those who express interest and make sure you’re a good match, especially if you’re total strangers. Schedule some time to meet with potential roommates so you can discuss some important things ahead of time. Speaking of which...

Be Honest About Your Deal Breakers

It may feel rude, but it won’t serve anyone by not talking about your deal-breakers. You and your future roommate should know you’re on the same page about the responsibilities you’ll share and the lifestyle that’s important to you. For example, if you don’t want your home to play host to raucous parties but your potential roommate loves hosting these kinds of events, it’s better for both of you to know you may not be a good fit.

While you’re at it, think about your nice-to-haves as well. For example, if you have a dog that could use a friend, finding another dog owner may be ideal (but make sure they have the opportunity to meet first to see if they get along!).

Once you’re actually moving in together, make sure also draw up a roommate agreement to ensure you’re on the same page about housekeeping chores, quiet hours, and other important topics. It doesn’t have to be formal, but having this discussion ahead of time (and writing it down so you can both reference it later) helps set you up for a better roommate relationship regardless of whether you’ve got natural roommate chemistry.

Don’t Be Afraid to Discuss Finances Up Front

Not only is it important to discuss how much of the rent you’ll each be responsible for, it’s also worth asking about their sources of income. That way you’re not hung out to dry when your roommate’s income falls through partway through your lease term. Talking about money may be uncomfortable, but if you can’t talk about it with your roommate, then you shouldn’t be roommates.

That’s it for our tips on finding the ideal roommate! If you found this post useful or interesting, we encourage you to share it with your friends and colleagues! If you want to shop the best luxury apartments in Dallas and other RPM communities across the US, check out our Communities page.

It’s usually springtime when people start thinking about how to keep their apartments tidy, but it’s hard to maintain a tidiness routine year round. As a property management company in Houston, TX, we’ve seen our apartments at many levels of tidiness. Today, we’re rounding up our top tips to keep your apartment clean without getting overwhelmed.

Creating A Cleaning Schedule

There are many ways to create a cleaning schedule; the key is to so find one that works for you! You might decide to spend an entire afternoon cleaning every few weeks, or you might prefer doing a little bit of cleaning every day so that you’re never cleaning too much at once.

If you live with others, delegate some of these tasks and communicate clearly about your shared cleaning and tidying responsibilities. Don’t take on the extra mental or physical labor to keep track of every cleaning task if there are others who are able to help.

Buy Organizers

Shelves, fridges, drawers, cabinets, shoes...there are many organizers built to suit them all and they can actually make quite a difference to the feeling of tidiness in your home. After all, your kitchen can be entirely clean, but still feel messy if you can’t find what you need easily or put things away to make room on your countertops. The same goes for your bathroom, shower, and closet. It may seem like a small thing, but it can transform how spacious and tidy your apartment feels.

Give Your Entryway A Makeover

Let’s face it, the first thing most of us do when we walk in the door is drop all our things. We throw our keys on a table, kick off our shoes and drape our jackets over whatever’s available. If you have the money for it, consider investing in a shoe rack plus hooks for your jacket and keys. You can buy all these things separately or as one multi-purpose front entrance piece. All that matters is that you give yourself somewhere to put your stuff!

Buy Furniture With Built-In Storage

Whether it’s a coffee table with a drawer, an ottoman with a hollow chamber inside, or a bench with built-in drawers underneath the seat, furniture with built-in storage can give you more places to put away odds and ends that contribute to clutter. For example, an ottoman can become a great place to store throw blankets, board games, or movies. And a bench with drawers could be a good place to store extra scarves, gloves, hats, and shoes near the entryway of your luxury apartment in Houston.

That’s it for our tidying tips! We hope you found this post informative and helpful! If you want to shop the best luxury apartments in Houston and other RPM communities across the US, check out our Communities page.

Whether you’re new in town or a long-time resident at our luxury apartments in South Austin, you may know of a few places where Austinites and tourists alike love to take photos. With murals and street art throughout the city, plus scenic greenbelts, riverside views, and iconic architecture, there’s no end to the Instagrammable spots in our city. Here are just a few of our favorite places in the city for a photo op. Have you visited them all?

I Love You So Much Mural

Perhaps the most famous mural in the city and also one of the most simple, the “I Love You So Much” mural is a popular spot for engagement photos, fashion shoots, and run-of-the-mill selfies too. We’re not sure what it is about this understated bit of wall art, but it certainly is one of the most charming spots for a photo op in South Austin. You’ll find it along South Congress on one side of the Jo’s Coffee building.

You’re My Butter Half Mural

Austin has many Instagrammable murals to choose from, and the “You’re My Butter Half” mural has become popular for many of the same reasons as the “I Love You So Much” mural. You’ll find it in East Austin along MLK across from Bennu Coffee. Stop by for a photo with your pet, your partner, or bestie, because this photo op is best experienced with your butter half.

Greetings From Austin Mural

The last mural on our list, “Greetings from Austin” is just begging to be made into a postcard (and of course, it has been many times). It’s located at the corner of South 1st and Annie St. and it’s a great opportunity to snap a photo to show off your Austin trip or get a picture to send to out-of-town family and friends.

Ladybird Lake Hike & Bike Trail

The Hike & Bike Trail along Ladybird Lake is the perfect place to capture a scenic photo of the river with the Austin skyline in the background. The entire stretch of this miles-long trail is full of picturesque views perfect for the ‘gram. Plus, you’ll get a wonderful walk in and you can easily bring your dog with you too.

Pennybacker Bridge Overlook

The Pennybacker Bridge is one of the most iconic Austin sights and the 360-overlook is a great place to snap a photo of it for Instagram. You’ll get there by locating the unassuming trailhead along 360, just north of the river as you’re driving south. A steep, narrow trail leads from the side of the road to a scenic overlook with incredible views of Pennybacker Bridge. Just be sure you wear sensible shoes!

Those are our top five Instagrammable spots near our luxury apartments in South Austin! If you found this post useful or interesting, we encourage you to share it with your friends and colleagues! If you want to shop our luxury apartments in South Austin and other RPM communities across the US, check out our Communities page.

There are lots of simple tricks you can use to keep our luxury apartments in River Oaks, Houston feeling stylish, spacious, and totally your own. These four tips can help you add personal flare to your ideal apartment without adding clutter to your living space. Know a friend, coworker, or neighbor who could use these tips? Go ahead and share this post with them! Now without further adieu, let’s talk design tips.

Make Use of Vertical Space

Floating shelves, stackable storage, and wall hooks are just a few of the tools to take full advantage of vertical space at our luxury apartments in River Oaks. Removable wall hooks and other mounting tools on the market can provide an easy way to display jewelry, mount pictures, hang bags, and more. Plus, an over-the-door shoe organizer can provide a convenient way to store toiletries, tools, and other odds and ends. Making use of vertical space will keep things from feeling cluttered or cramped while still offering plenty of space for you to show off what makes you you.

Embrace Mirrors

Mirrors instantly make a room feel larger. Decorating with mirrors can bring extra light and the illusion of more space to a room. A large mirror in the living room or several artfully-arranged smaller mirrors can emphasize your style while providing a practical function whenever you need them to. Plus, you can easily mount them on the wall so they don’t take up floor space.

Get Creative With Corners

When it comes to any home, including your luxury apartment in Houston, corners are likely to be your most underutilized space. Getting creative with how you use your corners can turn low-traffic areas into convenient design accents. For example, you can easily find corner desks, console tables, and shelves that will add storage and provide opportunities to express your interior design style. A tall potted plant like a fern or tree also makes a great addition to your underused corners.

Opt For Furniture With Built-In Storage

Whenever possible, opt for furniture that offers additional storage space. After all, if it’s going to take up space on your floor, why shouldn’t it do double duty? Coffee tables, entertainment centers, and ottomans are common items that offer additional storage space, whether you use that to keep cozy blankets in the living room or to organize your board games.

That’s all the design tips we have for maximizing space at our luxury apartments in Houston! If you want to shop our luxury apartments in Texas and other RPM communities across the US, check out our Communities page.

Working from home at your luxury apartment in North Austin or another Texas community managed by RPM Living? Many of our residents across Texas are still working remotely during the pandemic, not to mention those who already worked from home for other reasons. Luckily, our apartments in North Austin and across Texas provide an excellent remote work environment, with many having high ceilings that keep you from feeling cramped, high-speed internet to help you avoid connectivity hiccups, and a high-tech business center on-site when you need access to a board room or private conference room.

But even with these perks, having the ideal home office may not be easy. Home has become the center of everything, and it can feel hard to carve out a space that’s strictly devoted to work. But these helpful tips can give you a great space to focus, get comfy, and be productive.

A Place to Shift Your Perspective

Working in the same spot all day long can put us in a haze and drain us of energy. Having a place to go to change things up, even if it’s just a comfy chair on the other side of the room or a yoga mat in the corner that you can roll out for some midday stretches can make all the difference. We encourage you to use this spot to take a break. Even if you are unable to take a break, moving your laptop to another room of your Austin luxury apartment can reenergize you and literally shift your perspective on a challenging task.

Aromatherapy Options

Smell has a massive impact mood, so surrounding yourself with scents to help you feel focused and uplifted can really help your workday. There are lots of aromatherapy options that can easily sit on your desk or a table nearby like incense, essential oil diffusers, or sage and palo santo sticks.

A Pair of Bluetooth Headphones

When you need to use headphones for work, corded headphones can sometimes be a nuisance. While many over-ear headphones have great sound quality and added comfort, a pair of reliable Bluetooth headphones will free you up from cords, allowing you to be more mobile during your workday and make your desk setup feel that much less cluttered. You don’t have to find an expensive set either; there are many affordable reliable options.

An Ergonomic Computer Chair

Working from home often means spending hours in the same chair, so it should be a comfortable one! Computer chairs with poor support can lead to back and pelvic strain resulting in sore muscles, pain, or joint issues.

A Better Webcam & Microphone

We all know the trials and tribulations of a bad video call experience. Buying a higher quality webcam and microphone can eliminate the stress and miscommunication caused by poor sound or video quality. High-quality external webcams can be very affordable; finding one between $40 and $75 should suit you just fine. High-quality external microphones can run a little more expensive, usually between $75 and $150. We recommend a Blue Yeti or Blue Snowball for affordable and reliable options.

That’s it for our home office must-haves! We hope you found this post informative and helpful! If you want to shop our luxury apartments in North Austin and other RPM communities across the US, check out our Communities page.

As a Dallas multifamily development and property management partner, we’ve become very well-versed in renter’s insurance. It’s standard in the industry these days to require residents to hold a renter’s insurance policy and our communities are no exception. But if you’re new to renting or have never shopped for renter’s insurance before, there’s a lot you may not know about renter’s insurance policies! Here’s what to expect from a renter’s insurance policy and what you need to know to get the right coverage for your apartment.

Renter’s Insurance Doesn’t Cover Everything

It’s important to that renter’s insurance typically covers damages from issues like theft, fire, or wind, but it may not cover damage from flooding, earthquakes, and other natural disasters.

Pay Special Attention to Your Personal Liability Coverage

Generally speaking, your property manager will ask you to provide proof of a renter’s insurance policy with greater than or equal to a specific amount of Personal Liability coverage. A common amount in the industry is $100,000. Personal Liability coverage is what pays for loss settlement and legal fees in the event an insured party causes bodily injury and/or property damage to others.

You Can Take Your Policy With You If You Move

In many cases, your renter’s insurance provider can help transfer your existing policy to a new location if ever you choose to move. This process is easier when moving in-state but can also apply to out-of-state moves as well. Transferring your policy helps you avoid wasting money and keeps things simple by maintaining the same policy number, login info.

List Your Property Manager as an Interested Party

Listing your property manager as an “Interested Party” or “Additional Interest” helps ensure your property manager has access to your insurance information when they need it. It also helps streamline the process of notifying them of your Proof of Insurance when starting a new lease or when your insurance policy renews. To list us as an Interested party, you’ll usually just need the name of your community, address, and the office’s contact email.

Those are the top things you should know about renter’s insurance! If you found this post useful or interesting, we encourage you to share it with your friends and colleagues! If you want to shop the best luxury apartments in Dallas and other RPM communities across the US, check out our Communities page.