If you invite family and friends over to your apartment for Mother's Day, Father's Day, and other occasions and your apartment building has an intercom system, don't forget that it's not just a convenience. It's primarily a security feature, allowing you to check who's trying to gain entrance to your building and only buzz in people you know.

It's risky to just buzz in everyone as your party begins, assuming each person must be one of your guests. Instead, play it safe by using the talk/listen feature of your intercom to confirm the identity of visitors before buzzing them in. Find out more intercom security tips to help ensure you stay safe.

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If you're planning a move, there's a good chance you've hired professional movers to help you get all your belongings to your new apartment. Of course, you pay the movers for their services, but should you also tip? If so, how much, and does it have to be all cash?

Apartment Guide released the results of a new survey that sheds light on what others do when it comes to these questions of moving etiquette.

The survey found that the vast majority of respondents (71%) tip their movers, although opinions varied as to how much of a tip is appropriate. The plurality of respondents (39%) said 10% is the right amount, while 22% of respondents suggested 20%. Also, almost everyone surveyed (88%) thought it's a good idea to offer your movers food, with 8% going as far as providing a meal.

What amount of tip, if any, do you believe is appropriate to tip professional movers?

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Every apartment building has potential safety risks. But fortunately, you can avoid, or at least minimize, your risk of facing danger by proactively learning how you can spot common hazards and what you can do to steer clear of trouble.

Here's some help with identifying and taking action to avoid 10 common dangerous apartment situations.

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Housing discrimination comes in many forms. It may be subtle or even the result of a well-intentioned act. In my new book, Fair Housing Helper for Apartment Professionals (Hillocrian Creative, 2013), I aim to unravel all the legal complexities in plain English for landlords, property managers, leasing agents, and staff so that they can avoid even inadvertent discriminatory practices at their apartment buildings.

As a renter or apartment dweller, you can get familiar with your rights under fair housing law. This way, you can spot violations and know what steps you can take to try to remedy an unfair situation if you believe you've become the victim of a fair housing violation.

Here are the basics of what every apartment dweller should know about housing discrimination.

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