Within a Year I Dealt with 2 Common Tenant Problems

Time flies. Half of the year passed by already since I move to a new apartment in summer.

For the first three months I was busy getting a dining table (never had the need to buy before) and a surprisingly cheap IKEA desk.

While I bought some stuff, I continued decluttering. Some things were sent in the Philippines through a balikbayan box.

I am living my childhood dream of having my own room. As for my adult self, I love my independence.

Yet independence also means I have to deal with home mishaps . . . own my own.

The good thing is I have to deal directly with the landlord. No property manager which gave me a headache. That’s another story if I managed to force myself to tell an awful tenant experience.

2 Common Tenant Problems

So for the past half of the year, I’ll share the issues I had in my apartment that can be avoided if only I am proactive.

Lessons learned. I know experience is the best teacher.

Lucky for you. You don’t have to go through it if you heed my advice.

1. Clogged Shower Drain

Honestly I didn’t think I’ll have this problem until it happened.

Ladies no matter how short and fine your hair (like me) accumulation of hairs can clog a shower drain.

I was singing random 90s songs in the shower when I noticed it took time for water to go down the drain. Oh oh. It was my first time to cause such trouble. My bad.

I took a photo and sent it to my landlord.

While I was at work, my handy landlord fixed the clogged.

I received a call reminding me to buy a shower drain to catch all the hair.

OK but aren’t he supposed to put it in the first place. This thought was never voiced out. My hair was to blame. But it’s his house. Silence overruled.

I went to Home Depot, the closest hardware store in my apartment.

Many tub drain were on the shelves. I can’t find any for a shower.

After glaring at prices for a few minutes, I decided to get a kitchen strainer instead. The mesh is malleable enough to make it fit.

Luckily it worked. On top of the kitchen strainer, I placed the existing shower strainer that has huge holes. Nothing beats a thing that does its job and comes with a cheap price.

Something tells me that Home Depot will be a place I’ll often frequent like IKEA than malls.

How often do you have to clean the strainer/drain?

Every week! Or else it’s going to be messy.

I know it’s a nasty job whether your a tenant or homeowner.

Just sing your fav song as if your having a shower while cleaning. Hit (or miss, who cares anyway) every note and discard every dead hair.

2. Furnace Stopped Working

My neighbor came knocking at my door one day asking if it was cold in the basement.

“It’s always cold in the basement.” I muttered to myself, of course.

Why on earth will I wear hoodies and socks and sweatpants all year round.

It turned out the furnace stop working.

My comfy daily outfit must have kept me warm so much so that I can’t tell the difference.

That same day a repairman came to have a look at the furnace. He tweaked the thermostat and spend a few more time fixing things. Then he came out showing a filthy furnace filter.

I wonder when was the last time it was replaced.

Mea culpa. I forgot to ask my landlord about it. Or shouldn’t he reminded me about it and the shower drain.

See, I told you independence comes with so much responsibility with the apartment.

I’m learning. Good thing Google seems to have all the answer.

How many times should a furnace filter be replaced?

The repairman said that I should replace it every month. That’s overkill for me.

Fortunately Home Depot confirm my thought. It should be replaced every three months or as often as possible (once a month).

I ordered online an affordable HDG furnace filter and Brita water filter after sorting out the different types of filter. It’s not something I’ll be interested in but this is part of adulting isn’t it?

I received the HDG furnace filter in less than a week but the Brita filters were delayed. It’s a good thing that companies reply faster whenever you send a message on Facebook similar to the time I asked about Vivobarefoot (I finally bought my first barefoot shoes.) and Xero.

HDG Basic Protection 16X25X1 Filter (3-Pack)

• Electrostatic pleated air filter
• Filters larger airborne particles
• Lasts up to 90 days
• MERV 6

Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) is an industry standard used to evaluate a filter’s ability to capture various sized airborne particles. The MERV scale ranges from 1 to 16 and measures, under test conditions, a filter’s ability to remove particles from 0.30 to 10 microns in size. The higher the MERV rating the more effective the filter will be at capturing smaller particles that exist within your home.

More Resource:

• Global News – What You Need About Furnace Filters
• Home Depot – Types of Furnace Filters
• Air Filters and Home Depots Dirty Little Secrets

Installation Instructions

1. Turn off the furnace fan.
2. Remove the new filter from its plastic wrap.
3. Locate the arrow on the side of the filter.
4. Insert the filter with the arrow pointing towards the blower motor.

How about in your household? How often do you replace the filter?

In my last apartment, I think the property manager replaced it every six months. So that somehow confuses me.

Well, I’ll check every month and replace it every two months (or more maybe) especially in winter.

I always have cold feet (literally) and don’t want to bury myself under heap of bed sheets at night whenever the furnace stop working abruptly.

Prevention is better than a freezing basement apartment.

Note: It’s colder to live in a basement without carpet.

But I like that it’s easier to clean. I can use my handy dandy tambo (broom) and mop to keep my apartment clean and look new.

Imagine all the dust accumulating on the carpet which is a breeding ground for germs.

Final Thoughts

The inconveniences I had in my new apartment were preventable. I’ll be more vigilant and proactive as a tenant.

Keeping clean my humble abode isn’t my only responsibility.

So far after dealing with clogged drain and non-working furnace, I haven’t experience any issues other than replacing light bulbs.

Fortunately, I bought a set of six bulbs (also in Home Depot) in summer in anticipation for burnt lights.

Surprisingly, my plants love the light coming from the bulb. I don’t have to buy a grow light. But I probably will if I decided to grow my own vegetables in winter.

What are the common problems you experience as a tenant?

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