4 reasons you should actually meet your neighbours

If you’ve been living on your own for a while now and never said hello to your neighbours, you’re basically a troll. Don’t be a troll, fine renters of Toronto! Instead, you should start branching out and meet your neighbours – it might even make rental life a lot easier to deal with. Here’s how.

1. They might actually be cool

Personally, I’ve had neighbours who were loud, obnoxious jerks, but I’ve also had neighbours that were good musicians who had jam sessions every Friday and invited everyone around them (they also made a damn fine shepherd’s pie). I’ve had middle-aged neighbours who were friendly and handy and offered to fix my sink when they heard me swear about it and call my manager out in the hall (he didn’t even answer his phone). I once had an elderly gentleman neighbour who hunted Nazis after WW2 and spoke four languages. Yeah. Get to know your neighbours, because you really never know who they might be.

2. They might be able to help

If it wasn’t for the couple I mentioned before, I might have had serious flooding damage. It’s not that you should knock on someone’s door expecting them to help you whenever anything goes wrong, but it’s nice to know that you’re on good terms with someone who may actually be able to help if something happens. At the very least, if you ever get locked out of your place, you can call and ask them to buzz you, instead of trying to convince someone else you live there.

3. Got a cup of flour?

Sharing means caring. By establishing a little community in your building, it kind of becomes a little village where everyone shares (everyone who is cool enough to be in your village, anyway). Everyone helping everyone. Who doesn’t want that?

4. Friendly neighbours means more leniency

Once again, it’s not cool to befriend someone just to use them. That’s pretty scummy and you shouldn’t do it. But the truth is, it’s much easier for someone to forgive a Canada Day party or a loud get-together if they already know beforehand that you aren’t a jerk. Especially if they know you’re having a party… because you told them. Especially if you invited them and they’re partying with you.