Moving off campus is one of the best decisions most Lehigh students make — more space, more independence, lower cost per person, and a better quality of life than most dorms can offer. It also comes with a new set of responsibilities that on-campus housing takes care of for you. Safety is one of them.
South Bethlehem is a real urban neighborhood. It has energy, local character, and a student community that makes it feel like home for most Lehigh upperclassmen. It also has the realities of any city neighborhood — crime does happen, doors should be locked, and situational awareness matters. None of that is reason to avoid living off campus. It is reason to do it thoughtfully.
This guide covers practical safety habits for Lehigh students living off campus in South Bethlehem: what to do before you move in, how to make your house more secure, how to stay safe day-to-day, and what resources Lehigh and Bethlehem have in place to support off-campus students. There is also a section specifically for parents at the end, because this is one of the topics parents ask about most when their student signs a lease.
Before You Move In: The Safety Walk-Through
The first safety step happens before you unpack a single box. When you take possession of your off-campus house, do a deliberate safety walk-through of the property. This takes about fifteen minutes and can prevent a lot of problems.
What to Check at Move-In
- All exterior door locks. Test every deadbolt. It should engage fully and not feel loose or sticky. If a lock feels compromised, ask your landlord to replace or rekey it before you move in.
- Window locks. Check every ground-floor window and any window accessible from a porch or fire escape. They should latch securely. If a window lock is broken, document it and request repair in writing on day one.
- Porch and exterior lighting. Are the front porch light and back entrance lighting functional? Motion-activated exterior lights are a significant deterrent. If the property lacks them, ask your landlord, or pick up inexpensive motion lights at a hardware store.
- Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Pennsylvania law requires functioning smoke detectors in rental units. Test every one. If a CO detector is not present, get one — it is not optional in a house with gas appliances or an attached garage.
- Door to the basement or utility area. If it locks from the inside, make sure it does. Confirm there are no exterior access points to basement or utility areas that could allow entry without going through a main door.
Photograph everything during this walk-through — existing damage, door lock condition, window latches, detectors. Send those photos to your landlord the same day with a written summary of anything that needs repair. This protects your security deposit at move-out and creates a paper trail if anything becomes a safety issue later.
Rekey the Locks
One of the most overlooked safety steps when moving into a student rental: ask your landlord to rekey the exterior locks before you move in. You have no way of knowing how many copies of the key exist from previous tenants. Many landlords will do this without hesitation when asked. If your landlord says no, consider purchasing a new deadbolt — they are inexpensive at any hardware store and a licensed locksmith can install one in under an hour.
Home Security Basics: What Actually Works
You do not need an elaborate security system to make your off-campus house significantly more secure. The habits and measures that make the biggest difference are mostly free or low cost.
Lock the Doors. Every Time.
This sounds obvious, but it is the most consistent security gap in student housing. The front door should be locked even when someone is home. In a house with four or five roommates, it is easy to assume someone else locked up. Make it a house rule: the last person out locks the door. The first person home locks it behind them. The door stays locked.
The same logic applies to ground-floor windows. Open them for ventilation when you are home, but lock them when you leave and before you go to sleep.
Smart, Low-Cost Security Additions
- Ring doorbell or video doorbell camera. A visible doorbell camera is one of the most effective deterrents available. Many Lehigh area landlords allow them. They are easy to install (battery-powered models require no wiring) and the footage is accessible from your phone. LUPD has noted that video cameras on student rentals assist investigations and deter opportunistic crime.
- Motion-activated porch light. A brightly lit entry is a deterrent. If your landlord has not installed one, plug-in motion sensor lights are available for under $20 and require no tools.
- Door reinforcement strike plate. Most standard door frames use short screws that can be kicked in with minimal force. A reinforced strike plate installed with 3-inch screws makes a standard residential door significantly harder to force open. A $15 fix.
- Window security bar or pin for sliding windows. Any window on a ground floor or accessible from a porch can be secured with an inexpensive window pin or wooden dowel placed in the track.
What Not to Do
- Do not post your full address publicly on social media. Your friends know where you live. Strangers do not need to.
- Do not leave valuables visible in your car, especially if you have street parking. Auto break-ins are the most common property crime in student neighborhoods. Remove everything from sight before you park.
- Do not lend your house key to people outside your roommate group. If a key needs to be copied for a regular visitor, talk to your landlord first — many leases prohibit key duplication without permission.
- Do not prop exterior doors, even briefly. A propped door while someone runs to a car or takes out trash is an open invitation.
The HawkWatch App: Download It Before You Need It
Lehigh University's HawkWatch personal safety app is one of the most useful tools available to off-campus students, and a significant number of students do not have it installed until something happens. Install it before you need it.
What HawkWatch Does
- Emergency call button. One tap connects you to LUPD or 911, with your GPS location transmitted automatically.
- Walking escort requests. LUPD offers free walking escorts for students who feel unsafe walking home or to their car at night. You can request one through the app.
- Campus safety alerts. LUPD broadcasts safety alerts through the app for incidents in the campus and off-campus area. This includes active incidents, crime alerts, and safety notifications.
- Safe walk feature. Let a trusted contact virtually walk with you — they see your location in real time and receive an alert if you stop moving unexpectedly.
The app covers the South Bethlehem off-campus area, not just the main campus footprint. Download it, set up your emergency contacts, and make sure your roommates have it too.
LUPD and Bethlehem PD: Who to Call and When
Off-campus Lehigh students are served by two law enforcement agencies: the Lehigh University Police Department (LUPD) and the Bethlehem Police Department. Understanding which handles what makes a difference when something happens and you need to act quickly.
LUPD (610-758-4200)
LUPD has jurisdiction on university-owned property and the surrounding area. They patrol the main off-campus student corridors — Carlton, Montclair, Thomas, and Vine — and coordinate with Bethlehem PD on incidents involving students. LUPD is the right call for:
- Any incident involving another Lehigh student or occurring near Lehigh property
- Requesting a safety escort on or near campus
- Reporting suspicious activity in student housing areas
- Requesting additional patrols at your address during school breaks
You can register your off-campus address with LUPD to receive enhanced patrols during winter and spring breaks when the neighborhood is less populated. This is a free service and takes about two minutes to set up on their website.
Bethlehem Police (610-865-7187 non-emergency)
For incidents occurring off-campus that do not involve university property or another student directly, Bethlehem PD is the right call. This includes:
- Car break-ins or theft near your off-campus address
- Noise complaints from neighbors (or directed at your house)
- Incidents involving non-university individuals in your neighborhood
- Any emergency requiring immediate police, fire, or EMS response (911)
Both agencies take calls from Lehigh students seriously. Do not hesitate to call for non-emergency situations that concern you — that is exactly what the non-emergency line is for.
Day-to-Day Personal Safety Habits
Most safety incidents near campus are opportunistic rather than targeted. The habits that reduce your exposure are practical and do not require significantly changing how you live.
Night Safety
- Walk in groups after dark. The most straightforward risk reduction available. Walking with one or two other people dramatically reduces the chance of being targeted.
- Use the T.R.A.C.S. late-night shuttle. Lehigh's late-night transportation service runs until 3am on Friday and Saturday nights, covering the main off-campus areas. It is free for Lehigh students. If you are heading home late, use it.
- Stay aware of your surroundings. Earbuds in both ears while walking home at night makes it hard to hear what is happening around you. One earbud or no earbuds on routes that feel uncertain.
- Let someone know where you are. A quick text to a roommate when you are heading home and when you arrive is a low-friction safety habit. The HawkWatch safe walk feature does this automatically.
Hosting Events Responsibly
House parties are a reality of off-campus living, and the rules around them affect your safety and your lease. Limit guests to people you know and trust. Inform your neighbors in advance — this alone prevents most noise complaint calls and keeps your relationship with the block positive. Keep the guest list manageable enough that you actually know who is in your house.
Providing non-alcoholic options and having a designated sober person present is both good sense and Lehigh's recommendation. If something happens at a party that requires emergency response, call immediately. Lehigh's Good Samaritan policy provides amnesty from student conduct charges when someone calls for help in a medical emergency — that policy applies off campus.
Neighborhood Awareness
South Bethlehem has pockets that are more and less comfortable at different hours. The core student streets — Carlton, Montclair, Thomas, and Vine — are well-traveled and patrol-visible. The further you are from the main campus corridor, the more that baseline changes, especially late at night. Know the layout of your neighborhood. Walk the blocks around your house during the day when you first move in. Know which streets feel comfortable and which feel less so after midnight.
For a detailed breakdown of the neighborhoods near Lehigh and what each one is like day-to-day, see our guide to the best neighborhoods for Lehigh students.
For Parents: What to Know and How to Help
Parents are often the ones most concerned about off-campus safety when a student signs their first lease. That concern is reasonable, and there are concrete things you can do that will meaningfully improve your student's safety — without requiring you to hover.
Before Move-In
- Ask to review the lease for safety clauses. Good leases specify that the landlord is responsible for maintaining functioning exterior locks and required safety equipment. If a lease does not address this, it is worth discussing before signing. Our parent's guide to Lehigh off-campus housing covers what to look for in a lease in detail.
- Verify smoke and CO detectors. Ask your student to send you a photo of working detectors in the unit during their move-in walk-through. This takes 30 seconds and confirms something that genuinely saves lives.
- Help set up the HawkWatch app. If you are visiting for move-in weekend, sit down together and make sure the app is installed, your contact is set up as an emergency contact, and your student knows how to use the escort feature.
Ongoing
- Normalize regular check-ins without creating pressure. A quick text exchange a few times a week is enough to stay connected without becoming the parent who calls every night. Your student will share more if the check-in feels low-stakes.
- Know the addresses and phone numbers that matter. LUPD: 610-758-4200. Bethlehem PD non-emergency: 610-865-7187. St. Luke's Hospital (closest to campus): 484-526-4000. Have these saved. Your student should have them too.
- Trust the infrastructure. LUPD, T.R.A.C.S., HawkWatch, and Bethlehem PD together provide a real safety infrastructure for students in this neighborhood. It is not perfect, but it is substantial. Students who use these resources live in a demonstrably safer environment than students who do not know they exist.
A Note on Perspective
Safety guides can read like a list of everything that could go wrong, which is not the full picture. The large majority of Lehigh students who live off campus in South Bethlehem have four positive, uneventful years in their houses. The neighborhood has real community, local restaurants and coffee shops, and a student presence that makes it feel lived-in and lively. The safety practices in this guide are not a response to a dangerous environment — they are the baseline habits that let you live in any urban neighborhood comfortably and confidently.
If you are choosing a house and want to talk through neighborhoods, locations, and what the off-campus experience actually looks like, we are happy to help. Our properties on Carlton, Montclair, and Thomas are in the heart of the student area — well-maintained, well-located, and managed by landlords who take tenant safety seriously.
Reach out any time. Text us at 484-206-5522 or use our contact form to schedule a tour or ask questions about any of our properties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to live off campus near Lehigh University?
South Bethlehem is a real urban neighborhood, not a campus bubble. The streets immediately adjacent to Lehigh — Carlton Avenue, Montclair Avenue, Thomas Street, and Vine Street — see regular LUPD and Bethlehem PD patrols and have a strong student presence. Like any urban area, basic awareness matters: lock your doors, travel in groups at night, and don't leave valuables visible in your car. Students who are reasonably cautious and engaged in their environment generally have a safe experience living off campus.
What is the HawkWatch app?
HawkWatch is Lehigh University's personal safety app. It provides real-time campus safety alerts, lets you request a walking escort from LUPD, and gives you a direct emergency call button. It is available for free on iOS and Android. Every Lehigh student living off campus should have it installed. The app works in the off-campus area around South Bethlehem, not just the main campus footprint.
Does Lehigh University Police patrol off-campus areas?
Yes. LUPD patrols the areas surrounding campus, including the main off-campus student housing streets in South Bethlehem. LUPD also coordinates with the Bethlehem Police Department on off-campus incidents. You can register your off-campus address with LUPD to request additional patrols during school breaks.
What should students do before moving into an off-campus house?
Do a safety walk-through: check that all exterior door locks work, window locks are functional, porch lights are operational, and smoke and CO detectors are present and working. Ask your landlord to rekey the locks before you move in, and document everything with photos sent to your landlord on day one.
How can parents help their Lehigh student stay safe off campus?
The most useful things: make sure your student has HawkWatch installed, discuss basic home security habits before move-in, and verify working smoke and CO detectors at move-in. Review the lease for safety responsibilities before signing — our parent's guide to Lehigh off-campus housing covers exactly what to look for.
What should students do if something goes wrong off campus?
For emergencies, call 911 immediately. Non-emergency incidents can be reported to Bethlehem Police (610-865-7187) or LUPD (610-758-4200). The HawkWatch app also allows you to report concerns and request support without calling. Do not delay calling for help — Lehigh's Good Samaritan policy provides amnesty from student conduct action when someone calls for help in a medical emergency.