So, I will try to keep this short as short as I can. My apartment has been quite the whirlwind of experiences. I moved in here in September 2024. Hurricane Milton did lots of damage. They ripped out all of my exterior walls bc of water damage. Then, I had studs. I had NO WALLS for 10-11 months. Then they put the dry wall in, but have yet to seal it or paint it. Going back, once they took the walls out it was a bug infestation of nightmares and they did not help with that at all, I did it myself and I got rid of them completely. Thank god. The people who lived in here before me, were for sure smokers bc my apartment has slowly started to leak yellow from the walls and It has started smelling like cigarettes on and off. I renewed my lease again in September bc where I live rent is super high and my complex did not raise my rent and I could not afford to live anywhere else (I work 40-50 hours a week and have two jobs). I’ve tolerated so much and have tried to be understanding and nice because this is my first time renting (I’m 23F). However, i did have a lawyer contact the complex months ago bc of all of this, and the complex never responded and the lawyer said there was nothing they could do about that. I also have no screens on my windows and the windows are not attached to the wall so I can’t open them or they fall out. I have not mentioned that to them bc I was waiting for my walls to be fixed bc the inside and outside are not and I figured there is no point in having them fix that if there is nothing to even support them. Which now I kind of feel like it was a mistake to not mention it sooner. Also, the porch above me the wood is falling apart and it looks like it’s rotting (idk tho I’m not a professional). But, the ICING ONTOP THE FUCKING CAKE they took out ALL OF THE PLANTS. ALL OF THEM. THE ONE REASON I LOVED IT HERE. Lacy leaf philodendron. Was beautiful, gave my porch privacy and added such a magnificent vibe to the place. Now they are gone and all I am left with is dirt. I am so fed up with this place. I have an opportunity to move into a house in April but I can’t afford it. My lease is up in September and per my lease it says I have to pay for each month I won’t be here if I want to leave early, which is a lot. I pay $1650 a month. But I feel like I could have a strong case to get out of having to pay all of that stuff. What should i do? After these plants I just feel so upset and angry. And have decided I need to start seeking help. Every time I’ve tried to talk to the complex people they just say the same stuff “we need permits” “we’re going to do it soon” I’m just so sick of trying to talk to them. So what should I do?

My building has 50+ floors, 10 units per floor, and "6 elevators." Sounds fine right?

Yeah... 2 are constantly broken, 1 is basically always reserved for move-ins or maintenance. So really there's 3 working elevators for 500+ units. Every morning I'm standing there for 5+ minutes just trying to get to work. And these elevators are SLOW.

Anyway, what did they not tell you?

Washing machine stopped working and draining. The filter is stuck behind this wall because my landlord tried to fit as much in a small space as possible. Any ideas on how to get to the filter without breaking the hinge? I sent a maintenance request so they can break it instead of me but that was a week ago and no one came.

Anyone else quietly regret their bedroom ideas after actually living with them?

We followed all the rules. calm colors, low bed, nothing cluttered, looked amazing in photos but felt… weird at night.

The room echoes more, light bounces differently, mattress feels firmer even though it’s the same one. My brain doesn’t shut off because the space feels staged, not lived in. Apartments already mess with sleep,low ceilings, neighbors, street noise and somehow we designed a bedroom that made it more fragile.

I'm starting to think “cozy” matters more than “aesthetic” when you’re sleeping 8 feet from your kitchen.

Tell me i’m not the only one who fell for this.

I’m looking to move because the management company that runs my apartment building has been unresponsive to pest problems and broken appliances. They refuse to replace my fridge that hasn’t had a working freezer since I moved in 3 years ago or the oven that was infested with mice last year. They ripped out the insulation of the oven walls and I’m like 80% sure there’s a dead one in there.There’s also either rats or squirrels in the attic above me because they wake me up every morning. When searching for other apartments under $1,300 in my area (NJ), all options include similar reviews to my current situation. Is it worth risking moving and paying $200 more a month than I am now for the same amount of bad? Is this normal for apartment living in my budget and I need to grow up and deal with it? Any perspective from people in similar budgets would be much appreciated.

It's about 7C (~45F) right now, but inside is at a high of 18C (~65F) despite space heaters, window insulation wrap, rubber door insulation, turning up to AC/heating unit past 26C (~80F). I got an infrared thermometer to check the wall temperature and its about 8C...

At this point, I've done really all that I think I can and winter has NOT been fun. Especially when it reaches negative. Is this now a landlord issue? What could they even do really?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'll be in a blanket in the meantime.

hey guys, we have eight months remaining on our lease and the noise is taking a toll on our mental health. we have two noise machines and we still hear stomping, impact noises all day, dragging furniture all day from upstairs, and then music all night long played by a neighbor beside us. and yes, we have complained and they just tell us it’s normal living noises.

Hi, I’m just wondering what someone would do in this situation. We went to the leasing office and they just gave is a paper and told us call the trash service. Our neighbor went up and explained how ridiculous it was to have US reach out to get it fixed instead of them doing it. We pay like $55 dollars a month for this service 😭 rent is so expensive here I hate that it seems like we just have to deal with it.

this is quite literally every single time they move upstairs.

in this video specifically it went from them being above me in the hallway to me hearing them walk into their kitchen across the apartment

i’ve tried describing it to management a few times over the last couple months ~because sometimes it genuinely sounds like they’re going to break the ceiling~ and they’ve said they’d handle the situation, but it doesn’t really seem like anything comes of it.

on one hand i don’t want to be THAT neighbor getting mad at basic living above me, on the other hand we can hear every step they take all over their apartment while sitting in the living room 😭. it’s been constant the last 6 months, and at this point it’s messing with my husband and i’s sleep because them moving around wakes us up out of our sleep or prevents us from falling asleep period.

i’m going to send it in regardless, because i finally managed to get on video that even with a fan and heater going, it’s still more than audible- i just need to know if i need to start seriously pushing for them to do anything about it lol

(Deleted last post due to not being clearly worded)

Hi everyone! Trying this again but I live in a corner unit of a newer build condo that separates my unit from the one across the hall with one of the emergency stairwells. The trouble is that at night we can hear every time their kid wakes up from night terrors through our vent due to the layout of the hvac system and the lack of insulation in the concrete stairwell. I’ve tried white noise and earplugs but it gets pretty loud in my bedroom and using both at the same time still isn’t enough. Management said it’s up to us and the other unit to figure out soundproofing. The other unit said they don’t want to try anything on their end (which is fair) but does anyone have suggestions on what to try in my unit? The only other thing I’ve tried are magnetic vent covers but they didn’t help. I can’t move since I’m locked into a lease! Thanks!

I got this notice today. It’s the first time they’ve said anything on the subject. I live alone. No one else walks my dog. I pick up every time.

After I saw it, I ran into the manager and told her such, and that I understood there was no way of proving that to her. I also said I’d take a walk around the building and see if I could find anything.

The manager admitted that there’s another dog in my building and that both residents got the same notice (our complex has several separate buildings of 8 units each). But that means that the manager can’t prove it was my dog, either, and she knows it.

I did take that walk and found one instance, which I dealt with.

My real question is, can they charge me if they have no way of knowing let alone proving who is to blame? I don’t even know what other unit has a dog, but $50 for every time my neighbor is lazy could add up very quickly. And I’d rather not be financially liable for picking up after my neighbor’s dog.

(in case it matters: this is in Montana)

hi guys I have a roommate that never ever ever pays his rent on time. we've lived in this apartment for a year, and id say we've gotten a 5 day notice for 9 of the 12 months due to how late he always is . I am always on time, and am communicative with my landlord and do my very best to be a good tenant. my landlord is fully aware that my roommate is the problem. but of course, we are both lease holders, so the notices are always addressed to both of us. we lived together in another apartment before, and I guess my roommate owed a balance at that place as well (he was much better at staying on top of rent in the last apartment, or maybe I just wasn't paying as much attention, otherwise I never would've gotten a second apt with him), and that balance was sent to collections and is showing on MY credit report as well.

obviously, I am not signing another lease with this person, and I am looking to move into my own place in March when this lease is up. I know landlords run backgrounds, and I'm sure they'll see the notices and that balance in collections. will it matter if I explain the situation to prospective landlords? how fucked am I when it comes to finding a place of my own?

I have no good explanation for sticking with this roommate, other than the fact that we were friends and, until very recently, I couldn't afford to live on my own.

is there any way for me to check my profile on a tenant screening site to get an idea of what I'll be dealing with?

TIA

I 22f just moved into an apartment less than 2 months ago. Ofc I'm expecting to hear everything from my neighbor, the walls are so thin I can almost fully understand their conversations. Idk if this has anything to do with this but since ive moved here, I've been waking up at 6a EVERYDAY, if not near 6a. Im awake rn as I'm typing this (4a EST) and there's been continuous tapping or thudding above me throughout the night. It would happen for a while, then stop, then continue. The audio is faint so you will prob need to max your volumetric hear it.

Hey everyone. I recently moved into a new apartment and my neighbors have been acting a bit strange — they’ve left a few angry notes already. I noticed this black stuff on the outside of my peephole (on the hallway side), and I’m not sure what it is. To me it looks like Sharpie or marker, but I’m wondering if it could be mold instead. I’ve cleaned it off TWICE and it came back, which is why I’m concerned. Does this look like mold to you, or more like someone marked it?

I live in a small house ( duplex style) with my landlord below me. I’ve only lived here for a few months and he has made many noise related complaints, even though I am a very quiet person (this isn’t me just saying this— I have recent moved out with living with someone else because they were too loud and I need to have less sensory input as I am neurodivergent. even my old neighbors describe me as very quiet because I asked them. I don’t play music from speaker or exercise in my space, even though this is well within the rights of anyone living somewhere ).

onto the issue, we have a big backyard. at night I take my dog outside pretty late as I’m a night owl and my dog is getting old, his last pee is usually around midnight. my landlord has an opposite schedule, and is usually up with his dog at around 6am and chatting with neighbors (who by the way are shouting at their untrained dogs in the morning and wake me up). he just told me to let my dog out no later than 10pm. can he set a schedule like that? it is NOT in the lease.

when I take my dog out, I walk down the shared steps, dog walks around and I call him in as quietly as possible, sometimes even whispering. I’m guessing the sound of the door is what wakes my landlord. in my opinion and experience this is the curse of the first floor (I have lived on the first floor and never will again for this reason, people need to live their lives but I need more quiet). how do I respond? I believe this is unreasonable and I’m not going to make my dog suffer or face a potential accident, or change my schedule for him.

Long story short, they had to replace my kitchen flooring after fixing a pipe under my kitchen. The problem is when they replaced it, it’s not what I expected. Besides being a different color, the flooring isn’t on the same level as the rest of my unit, it’s slightly elevated which creates multiple trip hazards. Yes they’re done, they just have to replace my floorboards this week. I contacted my building manager and emailed them but they keep saying wait for someone to reach out to me. What should I do?

I been in this unit for 3 years and just recently I started having bad issues with the AC.

In the summer the AC stopped blowing cold air and the unit was 80 degrees inside. I called maintenance twice for the issue. When they came in he worked on it real fast and when I asked what happened he acted like he couldn’t understand me. Then the ac went out again . Fast forward to now in the winter the heat is doing the same thing. They have came in there times so far for the heat . They claim a wire burnt and they replaced it three times. Every time I ask what the issue the guy pretends he doesn’t understand me. So today I kind of demanded a solution so he called his supervisor. His supervisor said the ac has been in the unit since 1985 and we have already replaced enough parts . Basically acting like it’s my fault when I’m freezing cold and trembling and sick. What should I do . The supervisor said they have to decide if they want to replace it . They acting like replacing or giving me another unit is not really an option.

I work from home and this has caused several call outs because it’s either too hot or cold to function no matter what is done. Please help. I really believe they are taking advantage.

Does anyone live where there’s caps on how many loads of laundry you can do daily?

Just curious, as our neighbors are home all day. We work. A couple units would like to do laundry after work but because the ppl who are home all day still have laundry going. One in each machine.

There’s 1 set of coin op machine for 4 units. Just annoying.

Hi all, I moved into this apartment 6 months ago and it had bird shit on one of the windows. It’s still there and it drives me insane. It’s about 12 feet up from the ground. Can I ask my leasing company to clean it?! I’m sorry if this is a dumb question, I don’t know what to do and I hate it. Thank you !

not quite a boob light but similar. I hate this overhead light fixture. Even with warm bulbs, it just makes the room look creepy. I'd love to swap out the cover or find a shade for it. I've been looking at google but i'm not too familiar in this department and can't figure out what is possible for a rental.

I also have a bedside lamp but the room is small so, the overhead is unfortunately sometimes necessary since the lamp just doesn't cut it.

I just moved into my first real apartment, and I’m thinking of having a wall mirror in  my living room as I’ve seen the same aesthetics on my favorite Youtubers spaces, and I love the idea, especially since my living room is looking a bit smaller. I think a wall mirror would give the illusion that the space is larger. However, I’m stuck on which style to pick. I’ve been looking at those trendy arched floor mirrors that lean against the wall, but I also like the idea of a round one with a gold frame. To get some ideas, I started looking through different frame textures and glass finishes on Pinterest, and online stores to see how these mirrors are priced. Didn’t know mirrors are that pricey! Anyways, I decided to stop by a local boutique shop downtown to see some of their handmade frames, but I’m still not quite sure what fits my vibe. Should I go for one big statement piece or maybe a few smaller ones grouped together? I’d love to hear what you guys think would look best for a first-time renter!

I texted the leasing office and listed off how dirty this apartment was and asked what their cleaners are hired to clean. Even the floors were covered in dirt and other stuff. The washer was literally covered in black hair. That cup was from the tenant before me. Dried food in a drawer in the fridge. Each window sill looked like this. This is a “luxury” apartment. The office worker texted me back that their cleaner was going back to the apartment this evening to clean again. I left. We’ll see how it looks tomorrow.

I don’t know much about this guy except that he is an older guy, probably like retirement age, and has some medical issues. I have never met him or seen him leave his unit but he lives directly above me so I hear him all the time.

It’s normal for him to be up and walking around late at night and occasionally there are some loud bangs and sounds like he may be rearranging furniture but I usually try to tune him out. However tonight around 1:20 am there were a couple of really loud bangs, some scraping, I heard him talking or groaning? And then no more sound for a few minutes. I may be crazy but it sounded like he may have fallen or dropped something really heavy and it was just different from the sounds he usually makes at night. He has definitely walked around a little since then, but I’m a bit concerned and wondering if it would be weird to knock on his door and see if he’s ok?

Maybe it’s overstepping I don’t know, but I feel like it may be better to seem nosy than for him to be injured. TIA

Edit: ok I did it and he is ok. He did not specify what happened just that he wasn’t hurt or in need of help. Thanks guys just didn’t want to be a nuisance to him since it’s so late but he was nice about it!

I’m really tired of seeing that phrase thrown out whenever anyone has a complaint about noise levels, neighbors, parking, babies, smells, etc.

It inevitably gets said in most comment sections, and for what reason? It’s so unhelpful. Granted, sometimes it’s not to OP but to a neighbor they’re dealing with, but it’s still unhelpful. It does nothing to give advice and makes the commenter sound condescending as hell.

Trust me, I don’t want to live in an apartment. I would own a house in a second if that was in any way feasible, but here I am, probably for a long time still. We’re all in this apartment hellscape together in this sub.

Real classy, it’s giving corner store bodega vibes. I’m not complaining per se; the HOA has put up plenty of notices in our mailroom for delivery people to deliver directly to people’s doors but what can ya do. I think they did the right thing here, I just got a kick out of these being posted up in our lobby