r/ApartmentHacks

I live in an apartment and I'm thinking about getting some smart home devices to make daily life easier. But living in a smaller space has forced me to be more selective. I have to think about what actually matters, what I actually use, and what is just taking up room because I feel guilty getting rid of it. Since I may move again in the future, I also want something that's easy to take with me.

For those living in small apartments, what smart home devices do you think are actually worth buying? Are there any gadgets you bought that you find yourself using regularly?

I want it to be a place I can hang out with my bestie, eat but also work from home. I live in the UK so it needs to be adaptale for all sorts of weather..

Let me know ideas/essential things!

she never has her half of the rent or bills? she doesnt work? can i get her removed from lease? can i get removed from lease?? can i get her sent to jail??? either one helps

I'm not sure if this is even fixable.

I'm living in Quintana Roo Mexico right now. I love it and have stayed in a few accomodations which are more modern/luxury style where I don't have this smell problem.

But I'm currently renting a 30+ year old building which is beautiful and the apartment is really cool. Lots of bricks, wood and tiles. Yet it just always has this smell to it. I don't know how to describe it but it feels almost musty, humid, dry. Old kind of sums up how it smells. I keep it clean and everything but still just has this smell to it. I have windows open much as possible to let fresh air in which does help I think but also it's good to keep the windows closed when we want to use AC and so on. It gets super hot!

Everytime I go away for a couple days and close all windows I come back and it just has this old clothes smell almost. It's not like disgusting or putrid or off it's just old like dusty almost.

Anyone know why and how to resolve this so the apartment can smell FRESH/cool daily? I'm not looking for a plug in artifical smell either. I'm wondering if I need to put baking powder everything or something lol?

Where are people buying small/med modular couches?

I have a small and uniquely shaped living room and have been struggling to find the right couch. My unit is on the second floor up a curved staircase and the doorframes are tight, so modular seems to be the best option. However, most options that I’m seeing from the more traditional brands (bobs, crate and barrel, Ashley, etc) and the more trendy brands (Cozey, Albany park, etc) are a 3-piece modular that’s 120+ inches, a 2-piece modular that’s around 80inches, or a 93inch couch that’s one solid piece. Ideally I’m looking for a 90-100 inch couch that’s breaks down into at least two pieces for transport.

My only real requirement is that it’s a comfortable couch, not just a pretty couch, and I’d like to stay under $2k if possible. This feels like such a significant purchase, too, so I’ve been wary of ordering online from a random instagram brand with minimal reviews. Are there certain brands I should look at, or keywords I should be using? I feel like I’m just missing something lolol

So I just got my first apartment (yay me!) and I'm determined to make it as low cost but very much 'me' as much as possible.

I'm slowly furnishing my apartment and trying not to buy a bunch of stuff that I'll end up replacing later.

So I had the idea to go for a cardboard bedframe. I felt like the super good ones were way out of my budget. Plus it's eco friendly, so might as well! Fingers crossed that it would actually last me. Anyone has any experience? The one I got was from Yona.

I also bought some modular sofa pieces and a bit of storage kallax from ikea. Next would be a dining table so any recommendations for that would be great. Must be budget-friendly please.

Would also like some more advice on the furnishing department. Got any other furniture ideas you think would look good for my space?

Hi everyone,

I’m a college student living in one of the most expensive areas in the US. To save on rent, 5 of us are in a 2b2b apartment which is the legal limit.

Unfortunately I got stuck with the living room spot. The kitchen and front door open right into the living area so I have basically zero privacy.

I want to add a temporary divider/partition for $100-$150. The problem: I can’t use a ceiling curtain rod because the ceiling is slanted.

Has anyone done a renter-friendly divider in a similar setup? What worked for you to create some privacy without damaging walls/ceiling?

Thanks so much!

hi! so basically how my bedroom is set up, there is a stove and fridge behind the wall right behind my bed and i really want to put up some posters (the other half of the room is my roommates wall, so can’t over there)

basically i had blue tac up there and it sorta melted, leaving a stain on all my poster corners (very annoying clean up process on the wall too lmao), so i figure it has something to do with the stove (at least i think). is there anything else i can use that won’t damage the walls or the posters??

i have these like poster stickers, but i’m worried that they could possibly melt too now. do yall think they would work or should i look for something else?

I wanted to get some organizers to hang over cupboard doors in my kitchen, something I figured would be so straightforward to find! Basically I want something that looks like those metal spice rack holders, maybe 4 of them, attached to hooks that fit over a cupboard door.

But the ones that are made for cupboard doors are short, often just one or two squat baskets. The longer organizers are made for actual doors, so the hooks are way too wide.

I did get some loose metal spice racks, and tried using command hooks to attach them to the doors, but it's just not stable enough. If I owned my place, I'd screw things into place, but I obviously can't do that in a rental.

I would SO appreciate any suggestions — either of products you've seen that fit what I'm looking for, or hacks to make this happen in a less conventional (and hopefully budget) way!

Hi!

I live in a small apartment, and I’m trying to find a smart solution for my laundry. I have to kinda spacious cabinets in the hallway (built in), where I figured I’d do something in maybe half(-ish) of one of them.

Do any of you have experience with similar solutions? Or found anything online for instance?

I’m not very creatively inclined I’ve found out, so I need som inspiration.

Moving into my first ever apartment next week. For reference I already have moved most of my stuff into the actual place but since it's summer I'm still tying up some stuff back home before I fully move in and the semester starts the following week. It's a good place with pretty good reviews and a little old but it's close to my university and rent isn't bad for a 2 bed 2 bath and it is a gated community which is always nice. What are some general hacks or advice you wish you either knew the first time in an apartment or tell everyone when they first move into one?

My two biggest struggles are for some reason the lights are all horribly placed. Like the kitchen and dining room are right next to each other but the living room has nothing. Bedrooms also don't have the light centered and close to the wall instead so definitely investing in lamps. The laundry room is also a good 5 minute walk so I'm considering a laundry basket with wheels? The neighbor right across from me seems to have two young kids which I don't mind and I'm always all for but when I stopped by to drop some stuff off a few days ago I could hear them as if they were in my apartment. Of course I haven't been there at night yet but I'm hoping they don't end up being something to complain about. Not sure if these really hacks for those but I'd appreciate any insight anyone may have or things to look out for so you don't get screwed over in the long run.

I recently moved into an apartment and the fridge is non magnetic 😭 I have soooo many fridge magnets, but I have no idea how to put them on the fridge now. I tried using double sided tape, which works for the lighter plastic magnets, but the heavier ones keep falling off.

Is there any other way I can display my magnets on a non magnetic fridge?