Apartment Life Hacks: 6 Apartment Fixes You Don’t Have to Call a Landlord For

Millions of renters every year spend countless hours arguing with their landlords about the smallest of issues: a leaky faucet here, a loud radiator there. Most of the complaints renters have come from a small range of issues. But what most apartment renters don’t realize is there are tons of easy and cheap do-it-yourself fixes that don’t require a call to a landlord, or a request for a repair man.

Drafty Windows and Doors

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While fall colors and falling snow make for beautiful landscapes across America, they also make for frustratingly drafty windows, doors, and lost money due to higher heating bills. Luckily, these kinds of fixes are easy to do on your own. First, buy some weather stripping from your local hardware store. Cut down to size and apply with a small bit of paste to the window setting on the inside seam. Repeat until all sides are covered and bask in your newfound warmth, all without angering a grumpy landlord.

Plugged Drain
Shower and sink drains get stuck from regular use at an alarming rate. Hair, food particles, and even bits of sponges get stuck and create an almost impassable barrier. While the best solution is to call a plumbing repair expert, to fix a stuck drain yourself you have two options: Use a plumbing snake to lift the pipe blockage out of the drain, or make a mix of equal parts vinegar and baking soda and pour down the drain with hot water to create a blockage fighting foam.

Stained Shower Head
The shower is where many apartment complaints come from, including the limestone stains. According to Lowry Services: Electrics, Plumbing, Heating & Cooling services, tap water often has trace amounts of calcium or limestone, which stain surfaces easily. Fortunately, this is easily fixed by placing a plastic bag filled with white vinegar over the shower head and then rinsing off with hot water after a short wait.

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Stained Sink Faucets
Limestone and calcium can also build up around sink faucet heads. To clean these, make a paste of toothpaste and sugar, rub into the stainless steel, then brush off with a damp towel to reveal a classic shiny surface.

Squeaky floor
Old floorboard are known for being creaky and difficult to handle. Luckily, fixing this issue is easy. All you need to do is apply a small amount of baby powder across your floor, then brush it into the cracks in your board to seal them up and prevent squeaks.

Loose Door Handles
Over time, door handles often become loose and can even break. The easy fix to this is to use a flat-headed screwdriver to tighten each screw around the door handle until the knob is flush with the door. This may need to be done more than once for best results.

Ultimately, most common apartment problems can be fixed with some elbow grease and creativity. So don’t just call your landlord, get to work becoming an expert apartment renter today.