Keep the volume down. If you’re not disturbing your neighbors with loud music or yelling and screaming, chances are they’re not going to call in a noise complaint.

Don’t allow guests you don’t know. To avoid any problems now or in the future, don’t allow people you don’t know at your party. In fact, it’s probably best to have an invite-only policy when throwing your party.

Limit the number of guests you invite. Keeping the number of guests to a minimum is key to keeping the volume down and making sure unwanted guests haven’t crashed your party. Look around your living space and figure out just how many people can comfortably fit.

Do not serve alcohol to minors. Admit it — sometimes house parties are thrown so that minors can drink with those of legal age. This, however, is a bad idea and could get you and the minors into serious trouble.

Provide guests with a place to stay or make arrangements for them to get home safely. Something bad happening to a friend is probably the last thing on your mind while you’re having fun, but, you need to have a plan to help your guests get home safely at the end of the night. This plan could include making room for them to stay the night, finding a designated driver or calling a taxi.

Ask guests to bring their own drinks rather than getting a keg. Not only will this help keep your own costs down, but it will also help keep in check how much people are drinking. You also won’t have the hassle of picking up the keg and returning it or worrying about whether or not you’ll make your money back to cover the cost of the keg.

Put your belongings away and make it clear where guests are not allowed. If there are things you don’t want your guests messing with, put them away in another room and make it clear that they are not to go in there. It is still your residence and you are still entitled to some privacy.

Plan for drinking games. Drinking games can get a little messy, so find a spot that’s easy to clean up to set up your table. An ideal spot would be the kitchen or outside.