Cell phone reception may not have even made it onto your apartment hunting checklist. Most of us probably just expect our phones to work at any given time, or take our cell service for granted. But consider how you would feel if your apartment community was located in a dead zone.
Oops
If you have already signed the lease to your apartment and discovered (the hard way) that there is bad or no reception there, unfortunately you’ll just have to deal with it. Realistically, you could live without cell phone service. However, if you’re accustomed to constant communication, you may note a difference in your quality of life.
You can also try contacting your wireless provider to see if they could hook you up with a signal booster. These devices strengthen the signal between the cell tower and your phone for just these kinds of situations.
Why-Fi?
Let’s assume that you have access to the internet. Wi-Fi will at least allow you to use most of your phone. Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and iPhone to iPhone messaging are some different ways you can get around this communication issue. If you need to talk, Facebook allows you to call over the internet, and Snapchat has a video chat feature similar to Facetime.
Worst of Both Worlds
If you find that you have both bad reception AND internet connectivity issues after signing your life away, you may want to consider switching wireless providers. Many providers will buy you out of an existing account or give you time to return your device. You can then take your new device home, see if it gets better reception, and cancel it if not.
Unless you’re very nonsocial or prefer to spend your time in the apartment playing cards with the cat, not having cell phone reception really stinks. When taking a tour of an apartment complex, there’s one question you should always get answered before signing the lease… Can you hear me now?
About the Author: Faith Ellis is a Digital Marketing student and owner of Ladies, Lattes, and Lifting. She has a strong passion for writing and fitness and dreams of a career in content writing. Faith lives with her husband and furbaby in North Carolina, and enjoys local food and travel in her free time.
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