How to fix bad air quality in a rental apartment
Faulty or unsealed ventilation systems in multi-unit buildings can trap high humidity and volatile organic compounds indoors, forcing tenants to choose between stifling conditions or opening windows in extreme weather. This continuous exposure leads to persistent health issues and severe fatigue that disrupts daily work. Landlords are typically responsible for maintaining building ventilation and sealing structural wall penetrations to ensure a habitable living environment.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- This comes up 21.4× more often in r/hvacadvice than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1trying to test the ventilation unit self-modeDid this help you?
- 2looking into local building codesDid this help you?
- 3contacting an HVAC technician for an inspectionDid this help you?
- 4Opening windows to improve air qualityDid this help you?
- 5Cleaning mold in the AC closetDid this help you?
- 6Relies entirely on allergy medication to functionDid this help you?
- 7Leaving the apartment or going back home to MinnesotaDid this help you?
- 8Placing a box fan near the doorway to circulate airDid this help you?
- 9Using air purifiersDid this help you?
- 10Considering a window unit AC or ceiling fan if budget and clearance permittedDid this help you?
- 11Wrapping doors shut and using a single weather-stripped doorDid this help you?
- 12Opening doors for ventilationDid this help you?
- 13Changing furnace ductwork to accommodate 4-inch filters with MERV 12/13 and charcoal filtrationDid this help you?
- 14Installing a standalone HEPA and charcoal filtration unit like a Fantech Hero HS300Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I get high CO2 warnings all the time, stale air is always a problem, as is humidity in the summer because I can't dump enough out.”source ↗
“I full time in Minnesota so both heating and cooling are difficult to maintain if you don't run a tight ship, but the air becomes stale really fast.”source ↗
“I’ve gotten pretty sick in the last 4ish months - like to a point I can’t work anymore, and I’m actively investigating potential causes or triggers.”source ↗
“My Wave Mini shows VOCs rise every morning, spiking midday at 2-3k before tapering back down through the afternoon.”source ↗
“Are those wall penetrations around the lines supposed to be open like that?”source ↗
“The only thing that improves the air quality is if I open windows - but it’s 90° and 60% humidity so that’s not sustainable.”source ↗
“Every fall and spring (when it's all hot and humid), I get severe allergy symptoms.”source ↗
“It's happening at least once a week, and I'm literally only functioning off allergy medication.”source ↗
“I'm starting to think it's the AC here. But how would I tell if that's true?”source ↗
“I am getting lung issues from living out rurally. There is lots of marshland where I live and lots of cows & agriculture.”source ↗
“I like the 4 inch filter idea more but I am concerned the charcoal filtration in it might be a bit gimmicky. Has anyone used these with success?”source ↗
“This lone room just has stagnet air in it a lot. Not really sure what I can do to fix this, another air purifier????”source ↗
“I have a window fan but opening the window and running it will bring in so much humidity into the room, which currently have clothes and a lot of books for reading”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 5Why does my bathroom stay humid even with the fan on?
- 13Why is my AC air handler wet and smelly?
- 25Why is one bedroom getting way more air than other rooms?
- 2Am I going to get sick from breathing in chemical fumes?
- 6Landlords using cheap handymen and accordion drains
- 4Dealing with severe mold in a rental when management won't act