Fire Safety

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Be mindful of any open flames, items that heat up, adding too many electronics to an extension cord, and fabric or flamable items on or near your room heater. All of these things could potentially lead to a fire. Smoke and CO2 detectors should be checked monthly. It wasn't too long ago that a different local cooperative (Lothlorian) had a fire that cost $800,000 in repair. In addition, please make note of the location of fire extinguishers upon moving in.

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• American Red Cross Home Fire Safety

• Ready.gov Home Fire Safety

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Electrical Safety

DO NOT perform any electrical wiring work on the house (in your room or otherwise) if you are not an electrician.

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NEVER plug a portable heater, portable air conditioner, minifridge, microwave, or other large appliance into an extension cord, surge protector, or power strip. 

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Please be mindful of the electric devices you use. For example, some large appliances (such as minifridges) require a dedicated outlet to work safely.

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In addition, extension cords are often not a good option because they overheat - if you do use an extension cord, it is best to unplug it when you have your door locked or will be away for more than 30 minutes. Surge protectors are the best option for prevention fires, power strips are the second-best option. It is ideal to use a power strip or surge protector that will turn off when it has been overloaded. It should also be noted that surge protectors will protect your electronics from damage if there is a spike in electrical output (this can be caused by lightning, power outages, tripped circuit breakers, etc.)

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To learn to use extension cords safely by looking at Amps watch this video: "Is it safe to plug power bars into power bars?"

*TRIGGER WARNING: The person in this video uses the "R-Word" BEFORE the time stamp I started the video at, so if you do not rewind, you will not hear the word. Unfortunately, I could not find another video that explains the subject half as well as this video does. 

Mold

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There are no known mold problems at Nottingham. Mold infestations can usually be seen or smelled. Often, mold problems are found when individuals experience symptoms, and no one living at Nottingham has experienced any symptoms that would lead us to believe there is a mold problem. We want to keep it this way, so please do your part to keep the house safe from mold.

How you can do your part:

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• A common cause of mold creation is too much indoor humidity in the winter. If you use a humidifier in the winter, please make sure your room is at or less than 60% humidity (ideal humidity to prevent mold is between 30% and 50%). Do not run your humidifier overnight unless it is on a timer.

• If you do use a humidifier often, REGULARLY check your room for condensation on the walls and keep an eye out for paint bubbles. Paint bubbles will form when there is too much humidity and water gets into the wall and creates a bubble in the paint. Paint bubbles are more likely to form in places where something (especially something soft like pillows or clothes) are touching the wall. Paint bubbles must be dealt with immediately.

• Turn on the fan(s) in the bathroom after you shower or use the sauna.

• Report any leaky pipes, windows, or ceilings to one of the maintenance coordinators.

5 Tips For Mold Prevention In The Winter

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If you plan to run a humidifier in your room in the winter, you may benefit from a humidity gauge that keeps track of the current humidity as well as the "high" and "low" humidity in your room. This is especially true if you want your humidifier to run overnight or while you are not present. In addition, there are humidifiers you can buy that allow you to program them to turn off at a certain humidity level - such humidifiers can sometimes also be found used on resale websites like LetGo and the Facebook Marketplace. Another option is to have your humidifier on a timer or plugged into a timer outlet.

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Renter's Insurance

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OPTIONS COMING SOON!

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