
How to Fix Common Apartment Problems (and Keep Your Security Deposit)
Have a hole in the wall, stained carpet, or clogged sink in your apartment? Here’s how to fix it, plus tips for avoiding damage in the first place.
As a renter, things can sometimes get a little stressful. There’s the chance you’ll end up with tap dancers for upstairs neighbors, an unreasonable landlord, or roommates who treat the place like a pigsty. Your tight quarters become feeling even tighter, and to top it off, the apartment itself may have some small damages that your landlord won’t help fix, or even might charge you for at the end of your lease.
Here are some how-to apartment fixes for common problems, plus ways to hopefully avoid making the damages in the first place so you can leave with your security deposit intact.

Holes in the wall
The easiest way to avoid holes in your wall is to not make any. You could use something like Command Strips instead of nails to hang things, but that sounds like its destined for failure. From personal experience, the pictures that are suppose to be on the wall end up on the ground. So nails are bound to happen.
Plaster walls have the tendency to crack and chip from nails. It can be terrifying to hang a picture if you’re already distressed about the inevitable small hole, let alone the possibility of ruining your wall further.
Solution before:
Cover the area you’re going to put the nail with masking tape or painter’s tape. That should prevent it from cracking the plaster.
Solution after:
There are many ways to fill up holes in the wall to avoid charges from your landlord. Some quick fixes would be toothpaste, white crayon, or a bar of soap, but they leave the next tenant with crayons, toothpaste or soap in their walls… who wants that? Spackling paste is the best option. This won’t leave the new tenant angry and it’s just as cheap as buying a tube of toothpaste. Bigger holes? There are affordable drywall kits for those too. And Bob Vila even wrote a handy step-by-step guide on how to spackle.

Stained carpets
Solution before:
Things happen…
Solution after:
Stained carpets aren’t a lost cause, but it is important to act quickly. The sooner you treat the stain, the more likely it is to come out.
- Blot up the area with a rag, but don’t scrub
- Mix one teaspoon of OxiClean with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle
- Spray the stain with the solution, then cover with a clean, damp white rag
- Set your clothes iron to medium and high steam, then apply for 10 to 15 seconds.
You’ll know it’s working if the stain appears on the white rag. Make sure you only apply the iron to a damp rag, not bare carpet, and don’t leave it on for too long. Otherwise the stain might be the least of your worries.

Squeaky floors
Solution before:
Buy a place without hardwood floors?
Solution after:
Floor boards squeaking can drive anyone crazy. Your first step should be to ask your landlord to address the problem, but that won’t always work. Luckily, there are three easy fixes to stop the annoying creaks: baby powder, a bar of soap, or petroleum jelly. Just apply one (but not all) between the boards at the source of the squeak. It won’t fix every squeaky floor issue, but it can certainly help.

Window gaps/leaks
Window gaps let your heat and AC escape, so your gas and electricity bills will probably go through the roof.
Solution:
Filling window gaps is easy. All you need is a caulk gun and a putty knife. First, scrape away the old caulk with the putty knife, then apply a small bead of caulk to the gap. (If you cut the plastic applicator at an angle, it makes sure that the sealant comes out at a slower, more controlled pace.) Smooth it out with a craft stick, popsicle stick, or really anything you like and let it dry. That’s all there is to it.

Pet couch accidents
Solution before:
Solution after:
It’s important to soak up as much of the urine as possible with paper towels before starting with other cleaning solutions.
- Cover the area with baking soda and let sit for 5 minutes. It conceals the smell
- Fill a spray bottle with an equal mix of distilled white vinegar and water
- Spray mixture directly on baking soda-covered stain
- Let sit for 10 minutes
- Absorb residue with more paper towels
- Tell your dog you forgive him/her

Clogged sinks
Garbage disposals makes household duties a little less demanding, but if not maintained properly, they can cause a very expensive plumbing bill.
Solution before:
Run your disposal regularly to prevent rust. To keep it clean and smelling fresh, add dish soap and cold water (not hot). It’s also important you don’t put anything in the disposal that isn’t biodegradable, such as glass, metal, or cigarette butts. Grease, fat, and oils can also cause drains to clog.
Solution after:
Make vinegar ice cubes. Put a few down the drain with cold water running and turn on the disposal. It should help remove built-up food and grease residue.
Products we vouch for:
- Magic Eraser — We highly recommend it. It truly is magic. It can remove the toughest marks no matter the surface: cars, wooden tables, etc. It even works with Sharpie marks or scuffs and ink on your car.
- Goo Gone — Ever have trouble removing a sticky price tag or find gum stuck in random places? Goo Gone can help not only remove glue, but also these random but common occurrences.
- Lint roller — Necessary for any household. It can help remove those pesky pet hairs left on your furniture and clothes.
- Charcoal odor eliminators- These really absorb bad smells without putting scents into the air. Simply insert bag in your home, fridge, or car. Great for your gym bag or pet smells!
Have any more tips or questions? Let us know!
Visit getquilt.com for more about how we’re making insurance radically simple.
Got another minute? Check out
