So, you just rented a snazzy three-bedroom home around the corner from campus with your two best friends. Or maybe it was a gargantuan five-bedroom rental in the best spot possible. Either way, you and your roommates couldn’t be more thrilled. But the fact of the matter is that Athens homes are kind of old. These aren’t new-build homes we’re talking about.
The student rentals around Ohio University are generally in good standing and renting from a reputable rental company is even better. However, if you’re in a space long enough, you’re bound to come across maintenance issues. What’s a college student to do? On one hand, you don’t want the issue to turn into anything worse. On the other, you don’t want to have maintenance on speed dial.
Fixing commonplace issues in your spacious college rental apartment is great life experience. Any home owner or longtime renter can tell you that things can and do go wrong. Why not try to solve the little things yourself rather than have the maintenance workers over every week?
Electrical Issues
You’re studying for your next exam in your cute one-bedroom rental, and all of the sudden, the lights go out. Not cool. Something’s clearly up with the electrical, but instead of submitting a maintenance request, there are other things you could try first. One of the most common causes of electricity suddenly going out has to do with the breaker box. Every great-quality student home in the area should have one. Whether it’s clearly visible or has been painted over no less than 100 times is up to your rental company of choice. If something trips the breaker, you can easily open up the box, flip the offending switch back to its “on” position, and have your electricity back. Not everything warrants a maintenance call.
Other common electrical issues that are easy to fix for beginner renters are:
- Replacing burnt out lightbulbs
- Checking to make sure all appliances are plugged in
- Resetting tripped outlets
If you ever have an electrical problem in your college rental home and you don’t feel safe, contact your rental company. Some electrical work needs to be done by a professional. However, a lot of times it really is just a tripped breaker.
Basic Plumbing Issues
No one likes encountering issues with their drains or their toilets. It’s incredibly annoying at best, and it’s downright gross at worst. But instead of wallowing over it, there are easy ways to fix your problem without calling in help.
Running into a clogged drain is annoying—whether you’re showering and water starts to pool in the tub or your kitchen sink can’t drain right, it’s frustrating to deal with. If the shower in that one-bedroom rental perfect for college students isn’t draining, you’re going to want to do something about it. The drain is more than likely clogged due to debris buildup, and you have a couple options if you want to fix it yourself. The first is buying a drain snake from Lowe’s to fish out the debris. This is the most cost-efficient way to go and it produces lasting results, but it’s also the option with the most manual labor involved. The other option is to find a bottle of Drano, pour some down the drain, and wait for the magic to happen.
Other plumbing issues that are easily solvable include:
- Fixing leaky faucets
- Dealing with toilet troubles
- Replacing easy-to-fix plumbing parts
- Manually cranking the garbage disposal if it gets stuck
Heating and Cooling Issues
Air conditioning is a necessity during an Athens summer—it can get humid and hot fast. But what if the air conditioning isn’t blowing super cold and you and your roommates are slowly melting in your student rental home with four spacious bedrooms? Well, it might be time to change the filter. Air filters pull in dust and debris, preventing them from clogging up your HVAC system. Dust that completely coats the air filter can cause your HVAC system to struggle after some time, not producing quite as cold of air that you would like.
Most filters are as easy to replace as turning off the air conditioning (or heating), opening up the door that leads to the HVAC unit, sliding the old filter out, and putting the new one in. Most HVAC experts recommend switching air filters every three months or so.
Beyond the air filter (and maybe changing batteries on your thermostat), most HVAC issues should be handled by a professional in the field.
If you’re ever uncertain of whether you can or can’t handle a home maintenance task by yourself, don’t hesitate to submit a request to our team. We’re quick with things and have got your back.
Trying your hand at these fixes gives you real-world experience troubleshooting issues around that affordable two-bedroom apartment you picked out for the school year. When you’re well into adulthood and owning a home, you’ll be glad to have had the experience back during your college days. It makes you better-prepared to tackle these and more complex maintenance issues as they come up.