What people keep running into with apartment living
Complaints tagged apartment living, each raised by more than one person. One-off posts are not included.
43 recurring problems · 487 people · 22 forums we read
Raised more than once
Most people first.
- 76How do I identify if these bugs are bed bugs?Unknown household pests are frequently mistaken for bed bugs, causing immediate panic and uncertainty about whether an infestation is present. Even after professional treatments, lingering bugs make it difficult to determine if the remediation actually worked or if the infestation is continuing.
- 56Landlord built a fence around the AC and it brokeWhen a broken air conditioner leaves your home unlivable during a heatwave, you are left waiting indefinitely for a repair while scrambling to find alternative shelter for a newborn. Meanwhile, DIY attempts to clean the condenser coil with store-bought brushes risk causing major damage that leads to thousands of dollars in professional repair costs.
- 41How to identify a weird bug found in the houseMysterious property damage, unexplained nests, and midnight indoor sightings leave people scrambling to identify unknown pests without knowing where to start. Without an easy way to match a strange bug or larva to its species, homeowners are left guessing whether they are dealing with structural wood-boring insects or harmless intruders.
- 35How to clean burnt food off a stainless steel panBurnt-on food and caramelized sugar cannot be removed with normal soap and washing. This leaves brand-new cookware and appliances covered in caked-on residue that requires specialized cleaning methods to break down the carbonized buildup.
- 34What are these tiny red beads in my house?Tiny red or reddish-brown pellets found around the house are typically drywood termite droppings, known as frass, though they can occasionally be mistaken for beetle frass. Because professional pest control services are expensive, homeowners are left trying to positively identify the droppings themselves to find a cheap, targeted solution without paying for a full inspection.
- 16Why is my new dryer vibrating and buzzing?Dryers can develop persistent vibrations and buzzing sounds shortly after purchase due to internal debris build-up. This loud mechanical noise can make the appliance intrusive to run and prompt users to question whether the issue stems from a defect or general maintenance.
- 13Why is there a mystery wet dog or sour smell in the house?An unexplained, lingering odor resembling wet dog, sourness, or sweetcorn transfers unpredictably onto household fabrics in rooms like the bedroom, leaving people unable to trace its source. Because the smell appears in random places despite no obvious cause, it prevents occupants from successfully eliminating it.
- 13How to get strong perfume smell out of cardboard and paperPorous materials like paper and cardboard trap volatile scent oils deeply within their fibers, making standard liquid cleaners ineffective and damaging. Trying to wash or spray these items causes the materials to warp and fall apart before the odor can be lifted.
- 12Why do I have fleas if I don't have pets?Fleas can infest a home left vacant during a vacation by hatching from dormant pupa left behind by previous occupants or carried inside by wildlife. Dealing with the infestation requires continuous, relentless vacuuming and active treatment to break the life cycle, though it leaves people overwhelmed and exhausted by the daily routine.
- 12How to get rid of tiny flying bugs coming out of wooden furnitureThese tiny, sub-1-millimeter insects emerge from wooden furniture in massive swarms and ignore standard remedies like apple cider vinegar traps or boiling water down drains. Because they are not attracted to sweet lures, conventional DIY methods fail to catch them, leaving people overwhelmed by hundreds of bugs flying near their faces with no clear way to eliminate them.
- 11What is the fluffy stuff in my attic and is it safe?First-time homeowners often cannot identify unknown building materials like old loft insulation or mystery foam, leaving them unsure if the space is safe to touch or use for storage. This lack of clarity prevents them from using their attic for storage out of fear of disturbing potentially hazardous materials.
- 11Puppy suddenly won't use indoor patches and pees in apartment hallwaysPuppies often regress by refusing designated indoor spots and immediately eliminating in apartment hallways or right after coming back inside. This prevents owners from establishing reliable house training and makes managing daily apartment accidents a constant challenge.
- 10Why won't drain flies go away after pest control?Drain flies survive standard treatments and professional pest control because they breed deep inside the slime layer of pipes where surface sprays cannot reach. This leaves homeowners stuck in a multi-year cycle of temporary fixes that fail to stop the bugs from coming back days later.
- 10How to remove a stuck kitchen faucet nutCorroded faucet nuts in tight spaces often require specialized basin wrenches and penetrating oil like WD-40 to break free when standard force fails. Additionally, differences in new faucet shaft sizes can prevent them from fitting into existing mounting holes, requiring careful pre-measurement before starting the replacement.
- 9Why are toilets and kitchen sinks impossible to clean behind?Bathroom and kitchen fixtures are often built with narrow gaps against walls and convoluted curves around plumbing bases that make physical access impossible. Trying to reach these tight spaces forces people into awkward physical positions and leaves trapped dirt and dirty water permanently out of reach.
- 9Unexplained clicking or tapping noises inside the wallsUnidentified tapping and clicking sounds inside walls are frequently caused by thermal expansion and contraction of metal water pipes rubbing against framing studs as temperatures shift. These rhythmic noises occur independently of plumbing use or light switches and disrupt sleep by repeating consistently throughout the day and night.
- 9How do I find where pests are getting into my house?Pests often bypass exterior treatments by slipping through hidden gaps that are difficult to locate visually, leaving residents trapped upstairs in fear of a sudden encounter. Without knowing the exact point of entry, homeowners cannot seal them out effectively, which keeps the infestation active inside main living areas and bathrooms.
- 8Why is my AC air handler wet and smelly?Old HVAC systems accumulate dust and organic growth that trap moisture inside the air handler, causing heavy condensation and persistent foul odors. Resolving this deep-seated contamination in aging units often requires replacing the plenum box or the entire system.
- 7How to stop an apartment from smelling like petsPet odors linger quickly in small apartments because limited airflow traps dander, urine, and waste smells in confined living spaces. Regular cleaning and airing out rooms often fail to clear out the trapped odor, causing anxiety about hosting guests or keeping a pet in a compact home.
- 7How to clean a stained and grimy dorm faucetHousing management often refuses to replace functioning bathroom taps, leaving students stuck with unsightly buildup. Cleaning the faucet using standard descaling methods removes the grimy appearance and restores the fixture without requiring replacement.
Comes up alongside
Topics that keep appearing on the same problems — not topics with similar names.