Essential Tips for Living and Renting Alone as a Woman

Living alone as a woman is very doable, even if misconceptions still abound.

Is it safe? Is it wise? Is it worth it?

Despite people’s concerns, living alone in an apartment can be very rewarding and safe. Women can enjoy their solitude while feeling secure and confident in their living situation. For many, living alone is a positive, enriching experience.

Our tips for living alone as a female are designed to equip women with information, strategies, and resources for:

Maximizing independence
Enhancing home security
Fostering a support network
Ensuring personal safety

By mindfully considering safety measures and taking proactive steps to promote security and build support, women of all ages can feel empowered to make the most of the experience of living and renting alone.

The Pros of Living Alone

People generally wouldn’t live alone if there weren’t benefits to doing so.

According to Our World in Data, the percentage of females living alone in the U.S. has increased notably from 1900 to 2018 for all age groups. Since 1980, the numbers have increased for some age groups and declined for others.

Comparing the percentages for three age groups at four different time points, we can see that women living alone are far more common today than it was a century ago.

AGE	1900	1940	1980	2018
21	0.38%	0.54%	4.96%	3.85%
30	0.75%	1.52%	6.90%	7.84%
60	4.61%	6.4%	17.69%	18.29%

Sure, these increases reflect society’s growing acceptance of women living alone. But they also point to a greater percentage of women discovering the benefits of living solo.

Exploring the Benefits

There are many reasons living alone in an apartment appeals to a lot of women. These reasons are as customized and diverse as the individuals themselves. Here are just some of the many benefits.

Being in control of your space and your day-to-day life
Fully immersing yourself in your home projects without worrying about what a roommate or living companion might think
Getting to really know and understand yourself better
The freedom to explore new interests without feeling encumbered in any way
Growing in confidence, independence, and self-appreciation
Creating a home that truly reflects your heart and soul
Pursuing your passions
Setting your own schedule
The freedom to pursue a social life on your terms
Not having to deal with others’ messes or drama
Having friends over when you want
Staying up as late or going to bed as early as you like
Enjoying peace, solitude, and your own company

Each person appreciates a different side of living alone. If you have an independent spirit and a zest for life, you’ll always find interesting things to do and great people to meet.

Enhancing Your Lifestyle

Living alone contributes to your growth and independence without taking away from your womanhood or, more importantly, your humanity. In fact, it doesn’t take away from your gender identity in any way, allowing you the freedom to live on your own terms.

You have the flexibility to set up your space however you want and pursue projects, activities, and experiences that are meaningful to you. Living alone in an apartment gives you a home base to personalize, turning it into your own, comfortable place to hang out, relax, study, maybe work remotely, cook, sleep, and enjoy your daily life.

Preparing to Live Alone

If you’ve never lived by yourself before, a little preparation will help you ease into your new living situation and succeed at it long-term.

How do you navigate the journey of renting alone for the first time? One thing you can do is talk to others who’ve been there or are living by themselves in an apartment now. Bring up any questions or concerns you have.

What’s it like to live alone?
What’s the best part?
What’s the worst part?
Do you have any tips for living alone as a female?
What advice can you give on how to feel safe living alone?

You can also prepare by making a list. Better yet, keep a notebook or journal nearby. Anytime you think of something you need to get ready to live in your new apartment, write it down. Jot down all your ideas, concerns, and expectations. List what you’re looking forward to. Writing it all down and reviewing what you’ve written will help you get ready for your move.

Another way to prepare is to determine how much rent you can afford. Create a budget to manage the financial side of living alone in an apartment.

Things to Have as a Woman Living Alone

Part of your preparation can be figuring out what you need to have with you in your new place. In addition to your personal belongings, furniture, electronics, linens, and kitchenware, keep these accessible to you in your apartment:

Emergency contacts list
Flashlight with extra batteries
Basic tool kit
First-aid kit
Extra light bulbs
Foldable step stool

Also, keep extra sets of keys in case you lose yours. Keep them somewhere you’ll remember, but don’t make it easy for others to find them.

Feeling Safe

For a lot of people living solo for the first time, learning how to feel safe living alone takes a bit of time. You can take steps to help you feel safer in your place, such as:

Place night lights and adhesive light sensors throughout your apartment
Grow house plants
Practice aromatherapy to ease anxiety
Play music that cheers you up
Get a dog, cat, or other pet companion
Use a smart light switch to turn on lights before you get home
Install an alarm system

In the beginning, there might be times when you feel a little spooked, but eventually, you’ll get used to it and even come to love being by yourself in your own home.

Balancing Safety and Independence

Anyone renting alone has to know how to watch out for themselves. As a woman living alone, safety and independence are big priorities, and finding a workable way to balance the two is a worthy goal.

An effective way to maintain your independence is to put into place home security measures. These measures will help you feel safe and stay safe.

Enhancing Home Security

With doors and windows as the most common entry points for intruders, special attention to these can go a long way in enhancing security in your home. Secure them with latches that work. Remember to keep doors locked, even when you’re home, and keep your windows shut and locked whenever you’re out. Intruders almost always look for the easiest way in, so securely locked windows and doors are often enough to prevent entry.

Add more levels of protection by installing some of these security-enhancing tools:

Security locks for sliding patio doors
Door barricade brace
Door stop alarms
Window and door security bars
Security bars with alarm
Strong window locks and latches

Additional Home Security Measures

You can do more than install locks, bars, and alarms to enhance your home security. Keep trespassers out by securing your property and increasing your own surveillance means with the following.

Install peepholes in your front, back, and side doors.
Install a video doorbell on your front door.
Add a security lock and deadbolt to each of your entry doors.
Invest in a security system
Add motion sensor lights
Have additional alarms installed
Use smart home devices for remote monitoring

It doesn’t hurt to put up signs stating that the premises are protected by a security system. If you purchase a security system, the company can provide you with official signs.

If you don’t have a security system, you can still pretend you do. Purchase a no-trespassing sign indicating that the property is protected by video surveillance (even if it isn’t). Security alarm signs and warnings help deter criminals.

Practical Safety Tips

For a woman living alone, safety comes before politeness. You don’t need to open the door to a stranger. Check through the peephole, and if you don’t know the person, don’t open the door or talk to them.

Stay safe by:

Having expected guests and repair people text you when they arrive.
Keep your doors locked.
Store your valuables, including sensitive documents and expensive jewelry, in a safe, secure place.
Always have your phone within reach.
Use decoys, such as setting a pair of muddy men’s shoes outside your door to trick potential intruders into thinking more people live with you.
Set up and learn how to use home security apps, like Canary.
Keep low-tech safety items at hand, too, like pepper spray and loud whistles.
Use a personal safety service like Kitestring to check up on you and send out safety alerts to loved ones.

When you start looking for a new apartment, find out which neighborhoods are safe and make this one of the main factors when choosing a rental. This is one of the best safety tips for women living alone — or anybody, for that matter — and you can act on it even before you choose a place to live.

And before you sign the lease, always check the apartment for any possible security issues. Bring a trusted friend and walk around the premises, looking for hidden and not-so-hidden dangers. If either of you sees any safety red flags, don’t sign. Look elsewhere.

Self Defense Strategies

The most effective self-defense strategies focus on avoiding conflicts. Women living alone need to learn awareness strategies to minimize the risk of an attack, as well as action strategies to protect themselves against an attacker.

Take a self-defense class — you’ll learn how to protect yourself while having fun acquiring martial arts moves.
Keep a weapon nearby, such as a baseball bat or pepper spray.
Avoid sharing too much about yourself online — use privacy as an effective self-defense strategy.
Take preventive measures, including having your keys ready whenever you enter or leave your home, car, work, or any place you have to access with a key.

If you like dogs, know that in addition to being great companions, they can be another important part of your self-defense strategy. Women living alone feel safer when there’s a dog around whose bark will scare prowlers away.

Building a Support Network

Developing a strong community is another excellent way for women renting alone to stay safe and connected. Building your own support network will enhance your quality of life while providing you with a team you can rely on.

These safety tips for women living by themselves double as community-building strategies.

Befriend your neighbors.
Learn what your neighbors drive—cars that aren’t normally in your neighborhood may signal suspicious activity. Be extra careful around them.
If you’re traveling, share your itinerary with someone you trust for added security.
Text a loved one or close friend when you arrive home safely.
Bring a friend over to keep you company when maintenance or repairs are being done.
When you leave town, have a friend or relative house-sit at least part of the time to make your apartment look lived in and minimize the risk of a break-in.
Keep in regular touch with people you’re close with, including family members, best friends, boyfriends, extended relatives, and close co-workers, so you always have someone there for you, should you need them.

Having a support network that helps watch out for you is a great way to live safely and independently. Keep your close family and friends updated on your whereabouts for added protection.

If You’re Ready to Live Alone

Living alone as a woman is achievable, especially if you prepare in advance and put safety measures in place.

It’s perfectly fine to be alone, and the rewards are many. Living on your own gives you options. What do you want to cook for yourself tonight? Where do you want to go to see or learn something new? What new interest do you want to pursue? Every day, you have so many possibilities in front of you.

Rewarding solo living is a beautiful blend of being independent, being aware of your surroundings, installing safety measures at home, building a community you can connect with and rely on, and staying in touch with people you’re close to.

With the many apps that are available today and a wealth of security system options out there, being a woman living alone has become much easier to address. By implementing some of the safety tips for women shared here, you can move forward confidently with your apartment search, knowing that you can live alone just fine, if that’s what you want to do.