As the Kent State community tries its best to stay warm inside their homes, apartment owners and managers are taking precautions and warning residents to follow specific guidelines to prevent property malfunctions.

Cold weather freezing pipes and apartments losing heat are among the chief concerns managers have, as the high temperature for Wednesday was 3 degrees and the low 6 degrees below zero with a wind chill of minus 35 degrees, according to The Weather Channel.

Shirlee Manhard, the property manager at Dartmouth Place apartments, is still planning to come into her office Wednesday.

“We will still be here at the property that way we take care of the apartments,”  Manhard said. “This involves making sure that the crawl spaces on the ends of the buildings are closed so the cold does not go underneath and freeze from the ground up.”

There is a concern among tenants over whether or not their apartments will have the capacity to remain insulated as the temperatures continue to drop. The freezing of pipes is another common occurrence that apartment complexes like Dartmouth Place have encountered before.

“When people leave to go to work or to go to school, they turn their heat off or down real low, so we do send out reminders at the beginning of the year saying that you always must leave your heat on to prevent the pipes from freezing,” Manhaard said. “We have all of these measures in place to make sure that everyone is safe. Hopefully we do not see too many people walking tomorrow.”

University Oaks apartment complex sent a cold weather warning and tips for apartment safety to residents in an email Monday.

“As these arctic temperatures approach, PLEASE make sure you are following these guidelines,” the email stated.

The guidelines included keeping thermostats set to at least 75 degrees, not propping open building doors, letting faucets drip and opening cabinets.

Residents should be aware of their surroundings and pay attention to drafts, said Ethan Tanney, the property manager of University Oaks.

University Oaks plans to have plow trucks do rounds every few hours. Maintenance will put down salt and check heaters and boilers multiple times per day, Tanney said.

Over at Kent Park Homes on East Main Street and East Townhomes, residents were asked to set their thermostat to 68 degrees and to keep a steady flow of water running out of a faucet. 

Province Apartments also asked its residents to keep the water running, but to also park cars somewhere else so they could treat the parking lots. 

Tyler Haughn is a general assignment reporter. Contact him at [email protected].

Alexandra Sobczak is a general assignment reporter. Contact her at [email protected].

Lydia Taylor contributed to this report.