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Things You Didn’t Know You Needed for First-Time Renters
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items You’ve got the aesthetic couch, the trendy rug, and a mountain of cardboard boxes. But what happens when the power goes out at 2:00 AM, your kitchen sink starts backing up, or you realize you have exactly one electrical outlet in your entire bedroom?...
Sections
3
The "Everything is Broken" Emergency Kit
Space Maximizers for Tiny Layouts
The "Old Building" Upgrades
The "Everything is Broken" Emergency Kit
Because minor disasters will happen, usually on a Sunday night when everything is closed.
Learn from my absolute horror: do not wait for a clog to buy a plunger. My first week in my apartment, the toilet backed up at midnight. I had to run to a 24-hour convenience store in sweatpants, dying of embarrassment. Buy this specific one now; the...
Korky 95-4A Beehive Max Toilet Plunger
I thought I could get by using a butter knife as a screwdriver to put my IKEA bed frame together. Spoiler alert: I stripped the screws and ruined the knife. Having a real, basic toolkit saved my sanity. You'll use the tape measure and the level way m...
130-Piece Stalwart Tool Set with Hammer & Wrenches
My apartment complex technically has one in the hallway, but that won't help me if a pan catches fire on my stove. I keep this right under my kitchen sink. I’ve only had to use it once when an oven mishap got out of hand, and it saved me from losing ...
First Alert Fire Extinguisher, UL 1-A:10-B:C, Red
Your phone flashlight is great until your power goes out for four hours and your phone battery drops to 10%. During my first summer storm here, the grid failed. Having these lanterns meant I could actually read a book and see my way to the bathroom w...
Vont 2 Pack Super Bright LED Camping Lantern
Landlords are notorious for banning nails. I used this tape to mount a heavy power strip to the side of my nightstand and to secure a lightweight full-length mirror to the back of my closet door. It holds like iron, but if you use a hair dryer to war...
Gorilla Invisible Hold Mounting Tape 1x150 Clear 4-Pack
Let me tell you about the night my bathroom pipe started spraying water at 11:00 PM. While I was waiting for the emergency plumber, I couldn't hold a flashlight and work the shut-off valve at the same time. I bought this heavy-duty magnetic LED light...
Gorilla 3x2.4m Clear Waterproof Patch Tape
That cheap little toolkit you bought might have a standard wrench, but it won’t fit the massive nut underneath your kitchen sink or behind your toilet. When my bathroom pipe started slow-dripping onto the linoleum, I realized none of my tools were wi...
Channellock: Wrenches - Amazon.com
Space Maximizers for Tiny Layouts
Because unless you're incredibly lucky, your first apartment is going to have zero storage space.
My first bedroom closet was literally just one long rod and no drawers. I couldn't afford a massive dresser, so I bought two of these hanging organizers. I use them for my sweaters, jeans, and t-shirts. It completely solved my 'clothes mountain' prob...
STORAGE MANIAC 3 Tier Hanging Closet Organizer
When you live in a studio or a small one-bedroom, under-bed real estate is gold. My bed sat too low to fit anything substantial underneath, so I popped these 5-inch risers on. Now, I can slide three massive plastic bins full of winter coats and extra...
Utopia Bedding Adjustable Bed Risers 3 & 5 Inch, 4 Set
I actually hung this on the inside of my bathroom door. Apartment bathrooms never have enough cabinet space. I stuffed the pockets with my hair dryer, extra shampoo bottles, skincare products, and toilet paper rolls. It keeps everything off the tiny ...
Simple Houseware Over Cabinet Door Organizer
In a small apartment, everything needs to do double duty. This bench sits at the foot of my bed. Inside, I hide all my extra blankets and pillows. When friends come over and I run out of chairs, it easily seats two people. Plus, it looks way more exp...
SONGMICS MAZIE 30in Folding Storage Ottoman
This sounds silly until you realize apartment mailboxes are magnets for local pizza coupons and random flyers. Within two weeks of moving in, my tiny mailbox was jammed solid with paper trash. Putting this little sticker on my mailbox lid cut down th...
SmartSign No Junk Mail No Flyers Sign 4x5
When your kitchen has exactly two cabinets and two feet of counter space, you have to get creative with vertical real estate. I slapped these heavy-duty magnetic racks right onto the side of my fridge. They hold all my spices, cooking oils, and daily...
SpaceAid 4 Pack Magnetic Spice Rack with 48 Jars
If you don't have a dedicated utility closet, your broom, mop, and Swiffer end up precariously propped in the corner of the kitchen, falling over every single time you walk past. I used these damage-free grippers to hang my cleaning tools flat agains...
Command Broom Grippers, 2 Hangers & 4 Strips
The "Old Building" Upgrades
Because older apartments come with weird smells, terrible outlet placement, and zero privacy.
Older buildings were built before people had laptops, phones, tablets, and smart TVs. My living room had exactly two outlets, both in awkward corners. This Anker strip let me plug in my TV, router, lamp, and chargers all in one spot without blowing a...
Anker Power Strip 12 AC, 2 USB A, 1 USB C
When I moved in, my apartment smelled faintly of the previous tenant's cooking and decades of old carpet. It was depressing. I ran this air purifier on high for the first 48 hours, and the 'old building smell' completely vanished. Now I leave it on a...
LEVOIT Core 200S Air Purifier, HEPA, Smart
My first-floor apartment windows faced directly onto a busy walkway. I felt like I was living in a fishbowl, but I hated keeping the blinds shut all day because it felt like a cave. I applied this film to the bottom half of my windows. I get tons of ...
rabbitgoo One Way Window Privacy Film 17.5x6.5ft
Apartment shower heads are almost universally terrible—they usually have the water pressure of a leaky faucet. Swapping the default shower head for this one was a game-changer. It takes two minutes to screw on (save the old one to put back when you m...
AquaDance 6-Setting 3.5" Chrome Handheld Shower
Rental bathroom floors are notoriously freezing and often made of ugly, dated vinyl. Stepping out of the shower onto a bare, cold floor is a terrible way to start the morning. This mat is so plush it hides the ugly flooring, keeps my feet warm, and a...
GORILLA GRIP® Memory Foam Bath Rug, 24x17, Graphite Gray
Older apartment doors usually have a massive gap at the bottom that lets in two things you definitely don’t want: freezing hallway drafts and your neighbors' loud conversations. Sliding this double-sided foam draft stopper under my front door was an ...
Holikme Door Draft Stopper Sweep Weather Stripping
Older apartments come with years of built-up grime, mysterious baseboard scuffs, and layers of old switch-plate grease that normal multi-surface sprays won't even touch. When I moved in, the doors and cabinets looked permanently dingy. Ten minutes wi...
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Sponge, All Purpose