Renter Horror Stories and How to Avoid Them

Renting and living in major cities comes with some perks. You have access to public transportation, ample bars, restaurants, and shops, and plenty of entertainment options. As someone who has moved around for the past 10 years for educational and job opportunities, I’ve lived in many different cities. Some of the apartments in these cities were great; the landlord was responsive, the unit was clean, and our appliances were fully functional. In other places, I wasn’t as lucky. Here are some (unfortunately) true horror stories from my rental experiences and what you can do to avoid them.

Boston

The City: Boston is an incredibly historical city. The people here know how lucky they are to be living in one of the nation’s oldest and most historically significant places, and they’re proud to call Boston home. With places like the oldest continuously operating tavern and the first public library to allow the borrowing of books, it’s easy to see why Bostonians take pride in their city.

The Horror Story: The neighborhood I lived in, Allston, is known for being a major off-campus housing area for college students. Students from Boston University, Boston College, and other nearby schools inhabit most of the apartments and houses, and, as we all know, college students aren’t the cleanest. On my way out one morning, I went to grab a granola bar out of a drawer. When I opened the drawer, I found that all of the snacks had been ripped open and there were crumbs and chewed up wrappers everywhere. The lack of cleanliness in the neighborhood had attracted mice, and they had taken up residence in my apartment.

How to Avoid It: Be proactive! Soak cotton balls in peppermint oil and place them around the interior and exterior of the apartment. The scent deters mice from entering your home and will cover up their own scent so other mice won’t follow their trail to your home.

Luckily, it can be easy to get rid of mice from your apartment if you have them. Start by keeping everything in your own apartment clean, and using airtight food containers for your dry goods. Toss out any opened packages, as mice will find even the tiniest opening. Call your landlord and have them either set up traps or hire an exterminator.

San Francisco

The City: Easily one of the most desirable cities in the U.S. to live, San Francisco is a truly unique place to call home. San Francisco may be a compact city–just under 49 square miles–but it sure packs a punch. Locals love the wacky bars, unbeatable Mexican food, and iconic landmarks right in their backyard. The city also has a deep-rooted history of being a haven for the LGBT community, and it’s gotten stronger over the years.

The Horror Story: Anyone who has ever lived in San Francisco knows that the city’s fog and damp air can cause mold to grow in nearly any apartment. My first apartment in SF proved this to be right, as we had mold all over the bathroom ceiling. In my second apartment, we had something a little different–something I had never even heard of before: slugs. The little guys would come out late at night and take over the kitchen, leaving their slimy trails behind them when they went back into hiding in the morning.

How to Avoid It: For the mold issue, tell your landlord immediately and have them remove it. They’ll likely need research ways to get rid of mold or hire a professional cleaning service to do it for them.

Slugs like dark, wet spaces, so it wasn’t surprising that when our landlord came to look at the issue, he found that they were hiding under the sink and in holes in the walls. This all could have been avoided if the holes under the sink had been plugged up, blocking off the slugs’ entrance to our kitchen. Make sure you get in touch with your landlord if you notice any slime trails; you may think they’re gone if you don’t see them for a few days, but the trails likely mean they’re still coming out at night.

San Jose

The City: San Jose is a sprawling metropolis, and is widely considered the heart of Silicon Valley. Downtown is extremely walkable and is home to Adobe headquarters, San Jose State University, and an abundance of bars and restaurants. Hiking trails and outdoor spaces surround the city and the more than 300 days of sunshine annually keep locals happy year-round.

The Horror Story: The first 6 months of my year-long lease were great; everything was running smoothly. The last half of the year, we struggled to get consistent hot water. This amounted to taking cold showers for 4 months before realizing we could do something about it.

How to Avoid It: Know your rights. Among other things that make your apartment habitable, you are entitled to hot water. Before moving in, ask your landlord where the hot water heater is, how to turn it up, and if you’ll daily have access to it. The last thing you want is to wake up for work, hop in the shower, and be greeted with freezing cold water.

Take these true horror stories and use them to avoid the situations in which I found myself. In most cases, the issues were easily preventable, and were not a reflection of the great landlords I had. With preparation, open communication with your landlord, and clean habits, you’ll be able to rent an apartment without any of these horror stories.