How To

Documenting Problems

3 guides

How to Document Smoking Entering Your Apartment

How to build a written record, photos, and evidence file when cigarette smoke is entering your apartment from another unit or shared air space.

How to Get Professional Proof of Cigarette Smoke

An overview of pressure testing, HVAC balancing, tracer testing, and nicotine testing options for proving cigarette smoke is entering a rental unit.

How to Document a Pest Infestation in Your Rental

How to photograph, log, and report a pest problem so your landlord can't blame the infestation on you.

Health & Safety

1 guide

How to Use an Air Quality Meter to Document Cigarette Smoke

Step-by-step guide to using a CO2, HCHO, and TVOC air quality meter to build a time-stamped record of secondhand smoke entering your apartment.

Heating / Cooling

3 guides

How to Prevent Heating and Cooling Emergencies in a Rental

Prepare for rental heating and cooling failures by testing systems early, reporting weak performance, checking alarms, and planning for extreme heat or cold.

How to Document No Heat, Broken Air Conditioning, and Unsafe Indoor Temperatures

Document a broken heater or air conditioner using indoor temperature logs, thermostat photos, weather records, repair requests, and safety evidence.

How to Get Heat or Air Conditioning Restored When the Landlord Delays

How renters can escalate broken heat or AC during dangerous weather using emergency maintenance, code enforcement, 211, HUD channels, and legal aid.

Pests

12 guides

How to Reduce the Risk of Roaches, Rodents, and Bed Bugs in a Rental

Reduce roach, rodent, and bed bug risk with food control, clutter reduction, early detection, travel precautions, and prompt landlord reporting.

How to Document Failed Pest Treatments and a Recurring Infestation

Prove pest treatments are failing by documenting service dates, preparation, pest activity after treatment, entry points, and repeat landlord notices.

How to Get a Landlord to Fix a Serious Pest Infestation

How renters can push for effective roach, rodent, or bed bug treatment, request coordinated pest control, involve health or code agencies, and seek legal help.

Bed Bugs

How to Lower Your Risk of Bringing Bed Bugs Into a Rental

Learn how renters can reduce the risk of bed bug infestation, spot warning signs early, notify management, and keep records before the problem gets worse.

How to Document Bed Bug Infestation in a Rental

Learn how to document bed bug infestation with clear photos, videos, logs, written notices, repair records, and evidence that can support a tenant complaint.

How to Get a Landlord to Treat a Bed Bug Infestation

Learn how to resolve bed bug infestation with a written demand, repair follow-up, government complaints, legal aid, and practical escalation steps for renters.

Cockroaches

How to Keep Cockroaches Out of Your Apartment

Learn how renters can reduce the risk of cockroach infestation, spot warning signs early, notify management, and keep records before the problem gets worse.

How to Document Cockroach Infestation in a Rental

Learn how to document cockroach infestation with clear photos, videos, logs, written notices, repair records, and evidence that can support a tenant complaint.

How to Get a Landlord to Treat a Cockroach Infestation

Learn how to resolve cockroach infestation with a written demand, repair follow-up, government complaints, legal aid, and practical escalation steps.

Rats & Mice

How to Keep Rats and Mice Out of Your Rental

Learn how renters can reduce the risk of rats or mice in rental, spot warning signs early, notify management, and keep records before the problem gets worse.

How to Document Rats or Mice in an Apartment or Rental House

Learn how to document rats or mice in rental with clear photos, videos, logs, written notices, repair records, and evidence that can support a tenant complaint.

How to Get a Landlord to Fix a Rat or Mouse Problem

Learn how to resolve rats or mice in rental with a written demand, repair follow-up, government complaints, legal aid, and practical escalation steps.

Rental Contract

1 guide

How to Negotiate a Better Rental Contract Before Signing

How to spot one-sided lease terms and request changes to a rental agreement before you sign it.

Repairs & Maintenance

9 guides

How to Build a Repair Record That Prevents Landlord Disputes Later

Prevent common landlord repair disputes by creating a move-in record, reporting small problems early, using written maintenance requests, and saving proof.

How to Document a Landlord Ignoring Repair Requests

Build a strong record when a landlord ignores repairs by saving maintenance requests, photos, no-shows, repair attempts, dates, and repeat failures.

How to Get Repairs Done When Your Landlord Keeps Delaying

Practical escalation steps when a landlord delays repairs, including written demands, code enforcement, HUD channels, legal aid, and state-specific remedies.

Broken Appliances

How to Reduce the Chances of a Long Appliance Repair Delay

Learn how renters can reduce the risk of broken landlord-supplied appliance, spot warning signs early, notify management, and keep records.

How to Document Broken Landlord-Supplied Refrigerator, Stove or Other Essential Appliance

Learn how to document broken landlord-supplied appliance with clear photos, videos, logs, written notices, repair records, and evidence that can prevent a claim against you.

How to Get a Landlord to Repair or Replace a Broken Appliance

Learn how to resolve broken landlord-supplied appliance with a written demand, repair follow-up, government complaints, legal aid, and practical escalation.

Closed Work Orders

How to Keep a Maintenance Request From Being Closed Before It's Fixed

Learn how renters can reduce the risk of closed work orders without repair, spot warning signs early, notify management, and keep records.

How to Document Maintenance Work Orders Closed Without the Repair Being Completed

Learn how to document closed work orders without repair with clear photos, videos, logs, written notices, repair records, and evidence that can support a dispute.

How to Reopen a Work Order Your Landlord Closed Without Fixing the Problem

Learn how to resolve closed work orders without repair with a written demand, repair follow-up, government complaints, legal aid, and practical escalation.

Smoking / Secondhand Smoke

12 guides

How to Reduce Secondhand Smoke Problems Before You Rent an Apartment

Learn how renters can reduce secondhand smoke problems before moving in by checking smoking rules, ventilation, unit location, and lease language.

How to Document a Landlord’s Failure to Enforce a No-Smoking Policy

Learn how to document a landlord’s failure to enforce a no-smoking policy using the lease, complaint history, management responses, and repeat incident records.

How to Get a Landlord to Address Secondhand Smoke Entering Your Rental

Step-by-step options for renters trying to stop secondhand smoke from entering an apartment, including written notice, repairs, enforcement, and outside help.

Common Area Smoking

How to Spot and Stop Smoking in Apartment Common Areas Before It Escalates

Learn how renters can reduce the risk of smoking in apartment common areas, spot warning signs early, notify management, and keep records before the problem escalates.

How to Document Smoking in Hallways, Balconies, Entrances or Other Common Areas

Learn how to document smoking in apartment common areas with clear photos, videos, logs, written notices, repair records, and evidence that can support a complaint.

How to Get Your Landlord to Enforce a No-Smoking Policy in Shared Areas

Learn how to resolve smoking in apartment common areas with a written demand, repair follow-up, government complaints, legal aid, and practical escalation information.

Marijuana Smoke

How to Prevent Marijuana Smoke Entering From a Neighboring Unit From Becoming a Bigger Rental Problem

Learn how renters can reduce the risk of neighbor marijuana smoke, spot warning signs early, notify management, and keep records before the problem gets worse.

How to Document Marijuana Smoke Entering From a Neighboring Unit

Learn how to document neighbor marijuana smoke with clear photos, videos, logs, written notices, repair records, and evidence that can support a tenant.

How to Resolve Marijuana Smoke Entering From a Neighboring Unit With Your Landlord

Learn how to resolve neighbor marijuana smoke with a written demand, repair follow-up, government complaints, legal aid, and practical escalation steps.

Vape Aerosol

How to Prevent Secondhand Vape Aerosol Entering Your Apartment From Becoming a Bigger Rental Problem

Learn how renters can reduce the risk of secondhand vape aerosol, spot warning signs early, notify management, and keep records before the problem gets worse.

How to Document Secondhand Vape Aerosol Entering Your Apartment

Learn how to document secondhand vape aerosol with clear photos, videos, logs, written notices, repair records, and evidence that can support a tenant.

How to Resolve Secondhand Vape Aerosol Entering Your Apartment With Your Landlord

Learn how to resolve secondhand vape aerosol with a written demand, repair follow-up, government complaints, legal aid, and practical escalation steps.

Water / Plumbing

3 guides

How to Prevent Plumbing Problems and Water Damage in a Rental

Prevent rental plumbing problems by reporting leaks early, protecting drains, watching for sewage warning signs, and creating a move-in plumbing record.

How to Document Leaks, No Hot Water, Sewage Backups, and Water Problems

Learn how to document rental plumbing problems with photos, videos, temperature readings, water-quality records, cleanup evidence, and written repair notices.

How to Get Water and Plumbing Problems Fixed by Your Landlord

Escalation steps for leaks, no hot water, sewage backups, and unsafe water conditions using utilities, health agencies, code enforcement, HUD, and legal aid.