Are you planning an upcoming vacation? Nice, everyone deserves a break once in awhile. Before you pack your bags and hit the road, there are a few things you should take care of in your apartment first.

1. Let your landlord know

If you’re going on a long vacation, you might want to think about letting your landlord know that you are heading out of town. Leave them instructions on the best way to reach you in case of an emergency and give them your permission to enter the building if needed. That way they’ll be able to monitor anything out of the ordinary.

2. Have your mail put on hold

If you are going out of town for three or more days, you should contact the post office and request to have your mail put on hold. This will avoid mail building up in your mailbox and drawing attention to the fact that no one is home. You can make this request at your local post office or online.

3. Enlist a friend to check on your apartment

For additional peace of mind, ask a trusted friend, neighbor or family member to check in your apartment while you’re gone. They can make sure everything is ok in your apartment, water plants, feed fish, and perform any other necessary tasks.

4. Find alternative care for pets

If you have pets in your apartment, try and find alternative care for them as soon as possible. The kind of pet care you need will depend on how long you’ll be gone and which kind of pets you have.

Cats will be okay with an occasional drop-in and feeding (make sure to write out detailed instructions), while dogs will probably need somewhere to stay. For larger pets, check out kennels in your local area or see if a friend, family member or professional pet sitter can care for your pet while you are gone.

Keep in mind that your pets will need to be up-to-date on all shots in order to stay at a kennel.

5. Adjust your thermostat

You can save yourself a lot of money by making sure you adjust your thermostat before you leave. The Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to 50°F to 55°F during the winter months and 85°F to 90°F during the summer months while you are on vacation.

6. Unplug most appliances

It’s a good idea to unplug most appliances and electronics in your apartment. This includes your television, router, cable box, alarm clock, lights, toaster, coffee maker and more. There is no need to unplug major appliances, such as your refrigerator and stove. Make a checklist so you don’t forget as you’re running out the door.

7. Prepay any upcoming bills

If you have any upcoming bills like rent, utility or credit cards that will be due while you are on vacation be sure to make these payments before you leave. This will prevent you from incurring costly late fees when you return from your trip.

8. Clean out fridge

Don’t forget to clean out your refrigerator before you leave. Otherwise, you will have spoiled food in your fridge and quite possibly mold. You can avoid this by tossing out any food that will go bad or will go past its expiration date while you are on vacation.

9. Throw trash away

The last thing you want to do is to return from vacation and realize that you forgot to take the trash out before you left. Even a small amount of trash can create a very unpleasant odor if left in a closed up apartment for several days.

10. Check windows and doors

It is important to do a quick check that your apartment before you leave and make sure that all the doors and windows to the apartment or closed and locked. If you have sliding doors that come with a metal rod make sure it is securely in place before you leave.

Making sure these ten things are taken care in your apartment before you go on vacation will help you have a stress-free vacation. You will be able to leave knowing everything is taken care of at home.