r/ApartmentHacks

Hello everyone,

My family and I moved into our current apartment in March. Since we moved in we’re had multiple issues as far as maintenance. Mostly being that the property manager wants me to do maintenance on broken things before they send the actual maintenance man to come fix them. However our biggest issue is becoming the roaches. My husband and I kill 2-3 roaches per day inside the house since we moved in and we see countless roaches outside the complex everyday. We don’t leave food or anything around and we always take our garbage out. Our complex dumpster stays locked and we’re told to put our garbage around the dumpster until that one person who can unlock the dumpster comes and sorts all the trash. So I assume maybe this is how the complex has so many roaches.

I’ve contacted my property manager and requested they have the complex treated for pests. However their reply was that it’s tenant responsibility to pay for pest control. I’ve looked up California law and according to online it states that it’s landlord responsibility to treat pests unless it’s the tenants fault. I stated that in my reply and I have yet to hear back from them.

Just wondering what I should do?

I’ve got a 1 year old that’s learning to walk and if you know anything about babies they love to put random stuff in their mouth. (And they’re quick to do so)

It doesn’t matter how many times I vacuum or mop or clean. I will see an random roach somewhere on the floor. Idk how the roaches are even getting in the house unless it’s from a crack somewhere. But I feel like this is unsanitary.

Requesting advice from you guys please. 🙏🏽

I’ll be moving into a studio apartment for the first time soon, and I know I’m going to be more conscious of space than I’m used to—so I’m trying not to rush into buying too much stuff right away.

Any advice/tips on good things to buy right off the bat? I’m of course getting some key things (bed, frame, sofa, etc.), but would appreciate any tips on things that might help with organization, making the most of the space, or that even just made your studio more homey in general!

(P.S. Especially interested in any hacks for kitchen organization! It’ll be my first time having a galley kitchen)

What’s the ONE plumbing/drain emergency item every renter should keep under the sink?

..or later

Just give them cover for what they're doing, say: "yo! that's my package, you got the wrong apartment m'am!"

Or something like that.

The point is: don't be disdainful or hateful towards porch pirates and other low lives. Low life people generally have it tough in life.

I ordered a set of 100pack AA batteries from Amazon that got stolen. It was an annoyance and I made no claim because Amazon did their part.

Just accept that maybe 1 out 100 or 1 out 50 packages may be lost or stolen and still considering online ordering a nice convenience to enjoy.

What are your apartment peaceful co-existence hacks?????

This is mine: be chill with porch pirates.

We’re renting an old apartment where an elderly person lived for a very long time. The place definitely hasn’t had a proper renovation in 30+ years.

When we moved in, we did some cosmetic updates:

- painted the walls,

- got rid of most of the old furniture,

- replaced almost everything with modern furniture/decor.

There are still maybe 1–2 vintage pieces left from the previous owner, but overall the apartment looks pretty modern now.

However, we never touched the old wooden floors. They creak, turned gray over time, and are clearly very old.

When guests first walk in, they usually mention that it smells like an elderly person’s apartment. We’ve mostly gotten used to it ourselves, so we don’t notice it as much anymore, but it’s still noticeable to people coming in from outside.

We suspect the smell is coming from the floors since everything else was updated.

Is there any realistic way to reduce or remove this smell without replacing the floors? Has anyone had success with ozone generators/ozonators for this kind of issue?

Replacing the floors is unfortunately not an option because it’s way too expensive for a rental.

I moved into a new apartment in Melbourne not so long ago. It’s a new building, and actually one of those places you sign for and then basically forget about for two years while it’s still under construction. So when I finally got the keys and moved in, it felt like a fresh start…

That honeymoon phase didn’t last long, though…

Within the first couple of weeks, I started noticing pretty serious issues. The bathroom ventilation is almost nonexistent, and things are getting damp and covered in mold way faster than they should

The balcony feels off… like it actually shakes a bit when you step out there, which is… not exactly reassuring

On top of that, some of the windows weren’t installed properly, so I had to bring in someone to fix and reseal them

Then it just kept stacking up: a couple of pipes started leaking, and now parts of the walls are visibly damp.

I reached out to the construction company hoping for at least some accountability, but their response was basically that I should just ‘clean the bathroom more often’ to deal with the mold….

I’ve been looking into what options even exist in situations like this and saw that Sterling Legal deals with construction and property disputes. Not sure if something like this is even worth pursuing at this stage or if it’s just going to turn into a long, expensive headache

Has anyone dealt with something similar in a new build?

Curious what the realistic path forward even looks like

I’m looking for help to control the temperature in my room. I live in a three bedroom apartment with central air. Recently, I am getting very sweaty in the middle of the night despite the temperature being set to 70 degrees. Even when I sleep with no shirt and only using a top sheet and the fan I have isn’t enough. For privacy purposes I sleep with the door closed (and understand that that’s part of the problem) but am wondering what I can get to offset that. Some restrictions – I can’t use a window A/C or a portable A/C with a window hose. I would prefer not to use an A/C with ice packs but if that’s my only real option that would be good to know.

Saw some mid sized roaches for a few weeks but procrastinated before moving to new house.

My Removalist found roach eggs on the couch which is disgusting!

How do I fix that. Most of my my stuff is still in garage and I don’t want to move in it side before fixing problem.

Do I need peat control guys or can this be DIY?

Me and my partner are moving into our third apartment this week and as we’ve been packing up we’ve been brainstorming ways to make the apartment feel like home not like we live in a hotel or it’s just a box with our shit in it and I keep coming back to the idea of peel and stick tile and wallpaper so far I’m just thinking the tile for the bathroom floors maybe some in the kitchen (backsplash and maybe floor too) and the wallpaper as an accent on cabinets.
I’ve never done this before so I’d love some ideas on how to protect the walls, floors, cabinets etc but I’m wondering, do I have to tell/ ask my landlord/leasing office before I can do this? Will I get in any kind of trouble if they come in for inspections or maintenance and see the peel and stick? Or is it more of a thing where they would only charge us if there’s any damage at move out? I checked the lease agreement and there is a portion pertaining to alterations I’ll copy and paste what it says below, let me know what you guys think! Do I have to ask for permission prior? Also I’m in Utah if that means anything.

Here is the straight copy and paste from the agreement I bolded what I think may be the determining factor of if I can or can’t do this DIY
“ALTERATIONS:
Alterations to your apartment are prohibited without written consent of the Management. The following are prohibited:
a. The installation of a television antenna or satellite dish. Under the rules of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Resident has a right to install a satellite dish and/or
receiving antenna within the leased premises. Owner/Agent is allowed to impose reasonable restrictions relating to the installation and maintenance of the satellite dish and/or receiving
antenna. Resident is required to comply with these instructions as a condition of installing such equipment. Resident further agrees to pay Owner/Agent an additional $400.00
refundable deposit and sign a Satellite Dish and Antenna Addendum prior to installing satellite dish or any other receiving antenna. Resident understands that failure to comply with the
terms of the satellite addendum, said dish or receiving antenna may be removed by Owner/Agent without warning at the Resident’s expense.
b. The use of LARGE nails or adhesive hangers for pictures or mirrors. Only picture hangers or small-framing nails may be used.
c. The boring, marring or puncturing of any part of the equipment, carpet, drapes, fixtures, walls, or ceiling of your apartment.
d. The changing of, or addition of, new locks.
e. Redecoration or painting
f. Resident shall not replace or remove any of the apartment’s equipment or furnishings, including but not limited to Washer/Dryer units, Refrigerator, Dishwasher, Stove/Range or Built-
In Microwaves. It is prohibited for Resident to add or utilize any additional appliances, including but not limited to Deep Freezer, Upright Freezer, Portable Dishwasher or Washer/Dryer
Units and/or Portable Heating or Cooling Systems in apartment. Owner/Management is not responsible for any damage or losses incurred by Resident adding or utilizing any prohibited
appliances.
g. No aluminum foil, shades or colored blinds in the windows. All window coverings must be those that are supplied by the Management: however, if you wish to use your own drapes,
they must have white backings.
h. Air conditioning apparatus or equipment installed without the prior written consent of the Owner.
i. Resident will not permit or suffer any signs, advertisements, or notices to be displayed, inscribed, painted, or affixed on any part of the outside of the demised premises or any
building, except on a directory board if provided by the Landlord.”

The only thing I think would be a no is the “redecoration or painting” but that’s so vague right? Maybe I should just ask for permission? Or do I ask for forgiveness instead? 🤔