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Does it make financial sense to undertake home improvements and easy repairs if you don’t own the place? As a renter, I thought it didn’t. I had no idea how to repair or replace, and I avoided contacting the landlord or superintendent for minor issues since I would have to take time off work. I was also nervous about causing any damage that would be deducted from my security deposit. A decade later, with some DIY experience under my belt, I realize some easy and inexpensive repairs and improvements to my rented apartment would have vastly improved my quality of life as a renter. In retrospect, I would have either called my landlord, or even undertaken them myself without making a dent in either my wallet or my landlord’s.

Chipped plaster, old paint or wall imperfections

Apartments often come with flat white paint that gets dirty and stained easily. Most landlords charge fines for holes in walls left from hanging pictures, shelves or curtains, so I avoided putting any up. I now know that imperfections can be fixed with a $5 tub of spackle, some sandpaper, primer and paint. Crayon murals or stains on the wall can be washed with a Magic Eraser, or some toothpaste on a wet sponge. If that doesn’t work, I now know paint stores are able to match the color using a chip of paint from the wall, so there is no need to repaint the whole room.

Peeling, dirty caulk

Several bathrooms in rental units are caulked with cheaper varieties of caulk that are not crack or mildew resistant. As a result, it is common to see flaking or unsightly caulk in bathrooms. As a renter, I wasted money by trying to clean and scrub with harsh chemicals. As a homeowner, when caulk starts peeling and discoloring, I remove with my $10 caulk removal knife and put on a fresh line of mildew resistant, silicone caulk that costs $8-$10 a tube. It is less laborious and expensive that repeated attempts at cleaning.

Dirty Carpet

A light color, like beige or off-white is often the standard color for wall-to-wall carpet at rental apartments. Over normal use, even with vacuuming, carpet gets dirty. It is often difficult to get landlords to change carpeting, but many charge up to $150 to steam clean the carpet during move out. I later learned that rather than hire a professional steamer, it was more cost effective to rent a carpet cleaning machine from a home improvement store ($25 a day), and pay $10 for a cleaning solution.

Dripping faucet or noisy toilet

Since incessant dripping of a leaky faucet or random noises made by a toilet flushing are only a small nuisance, renters often procrastinate to get them repaired. Since water is often included in rent, there is no financial motivation either. As a homeowner, I discovered that a leaky faucet could be fixed by $2-$3 of supplies and a wrench, and toilet flush issues can be troubleshooted at the home improvement store. The replacement parts themselves cost $8-$25.

Sticking closet doors

My apartment had two problematic closet doors. One was too tight, either it would not close, or if I forced it, it would take two people to pull it open. Another was crooked and got stuck at the bottom, often scratching the floor. Years later, a handyman told me fixing problem doors was like filing fingernails — they could be sanded down. He said he typically charged $25 since it took him only take 30 minutes to repair. This was another pesky issue that dogged me throughout my lease, but one that the landlord or superintendent could have fixed easily.