Unventilated bathroom and other apartment woes - how to deal?
October 31, 2018 6:43 PM Subscribe
I've been living in my first ever apartment for the last year or so and have encountered way more problems than I imagined I would have to deal with. The newest issue is tiny, miniscule brownish orange-ish bugs that I keep seeing in my bathroom, on top of the toilet's tank. How do I address this?
My tiny bachelor apartment is old and overpriced, and I would love more than anything to move but it's been tough finding a nice place I can afford. Rent prices in my city have gone through the roof in the last couple of years and finding an affordable 1 bedroom place here that isn't run by a terrible company or isn't falling apart or isn't too far away is a nightmare... So I have to suck it up and deal with this place as much as I can.
In the last year I've dealt with: my bathroom ceiling leaking 5 times, same tile, upper tenant's toilet leaked into my own bathroom (gross), a minor ant infestation, a bed bug scare and a random pest control visit, and most recently, cockroaches! I found 2 in the last 4 months and have gone crazy with the diatamaceous earth (sp?) and other methods. There are lots of cracks and crevices in my unit and my bathroom is no exception. I've caulked up some areas but there's also a lot of water damage in the bathroom walls, which is making me think that these tiny brown bugs I'm now dealing with are somehow related to a humid environment and some mould/mildew. The bathroom is not ventilated and there are no windows, the only window in the apartment is my balcony door which I almost never open because the screen door lets in a lot of bugs (my biggest fear probably).
I noticed that the wall (probably plaster) is badly damaged and peeling behind my toilet, and that's where Ive been seeing most of the bugs. How can I address this with my landlord and realistically, is there anything they can actually do about this? They're generally good at treating maintenance requests promptly but the work is usually sub par (hence the recurring leaks in my ceiling). Is there anything I can do to stop these pests from coming into my bathroom? I'm starting to feel disgusted just living here, even though my apartment itself is spotless, because of the mold and the possible cockroaches living in the walls or other units and all of the water damage and tiny random bugs. Honestly in the year that I've lived here I've developed a recurring staph infection and other weird skin problems that I never dealt with before moving here, and maybe it's a coincidence but I can't help but think it's all related and it's all been super stressful on top of other life issues like getting on a new medication, family, work, managing debt etc... Having to deal with these admittedly minor apartment problems is making me feel crazy with everything else, especially since I've spent so much time and money on things to make myself feel more at home here. So I'm feeling a bit hopeless about continuing to live here comfortably and would like to try and make the most of it until I can eventually, hopefully move out to a nicer place.
How do I tell all of this to my not very chatty landlord and get her to address the many issues I've brought up so I can actually get my ridiculous rent's worth? Would it be a bad idea to name all the issues I want fixed in one work order or should I submit separate work orders for each issue?
My tiny bachelor apartment is old and overpriced, and I would love more than anything to move but it's been tough finding a nice place I can afford. Rent prices in my city have gone through the roof in the last couple of years and finding an affordable 1 bedroom place here that isn't run by a terrible company or isn't falling apart or isn't too far away is a nightmare... So I have to suck it up and deal with this place as much as I can.
In the last year I've dealt with: my bathroom ceiling leaking 5 times, same tile, upper tenant's toilet leaked into my own bathroom (gross), a minor ant infestation, a bed bug scare and a random pest control visit, and most recently, cockroaches! I found 2 in the last 4 months and have gone crazy with the diatamaceous earth (sp?) and other methods. There are lots of cracks and crevices in my unit and my bathroom is no exception. I've caulked up some areas but there's also a lot of water damage in the bathroom walls, which is making me think that these tiny brown bugs I'm now dealing with are somehow related to a humid environment and some mould/mildew. The bathroom is not ventilated and there are no windows, the only window in the apartment is my balcony door which I almost never open because the screen door lets in a lot of bugs (my biggest fear probably).
I noticed that the wall (probably plaster) is badly damaged and peeling behind my toilet, and that's where Ive been seeing most of the bugs. How can I address this with my landlord and realistically, is there anything they can actually do about this? They're generally good at treating maintenance requests promptly but the work is usually sub par (hence the recurring leaks in my ceiling). Is there anything I can do to stop these pests from coming into my bathroom? I'm starting to feel disgusted just living here, even though my apartment itself is spotless, because of the mold and the possible cockroaches living in the walls or other units and all of the water damage and tiny random bugs. Honestly in the year that I've lived here I've developed a recurring staph infection and other weird skin problems that I never dealt with before moving here, and maybe it's a coincidence but I can't help but think it's all related and it's all been super stressful on top of other life issues like getting on a new medication, family, work, managing debt etc... Having to deal with these admittedly minor apartment problems is making me feel crazy with everything else, especially since I've spent so much time and money on things to make myself feel more at home here. So I'm feeling a bit hopeless about continuing to live here comfortably and would like to try and make the most of it until I can eventually, hopefully move out to a nicer place.
How do I tell all of this to my not very chatty landlord and get her to address the many issues I've brought up so I can actually get my ridiculous rent's worth? Would it be a bad idea to name all the issues I want fixed in one work order or should I submit separate work orders for each issue?
I’m sorry you are feeling trapped in an uncomfortable place. I’ve been there, and it sucks. Honestly, the leaks/ flooding and mold sound the most concerning to me. Two roaches in four months is not very much - that’s actually pretty good for a multi-unit apt building. It’s impossible to say what kind of bugs you have in your bathroom without more info, and the type of bugs would dictate what your options are there.
Personally, I’d document with photos all the issues you are having, and then send the landlord the big list in priority order with photos attached. Check off what gets fixed as it does, then re-send if necessary.
posted by gemmy at 8:19 PM on October 31, 2018 [2 favorites]
Personally, I’d document with photos all the issues you are having, and then send the landlord the big list in priority order with photos attached. Check off what gets fixed as it does, then re-send if necessary.
posted by gemmy at 8:19 PM on October 31, 2018 [2 favorites]
Get a dehumidifier for the bathroom and ant/roach traps for behind the toilet/under the sink. If you run a fan while your door/window is open, you'll be less likely to have flying insects come in while airing out the house. Consider also fly tape.
posted by Toddles at 9:51 PM on October 31, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Toddles at 9:51 PM on October 31, 2018 [2 favorites]
Could you repair/replace the balcony door screen, so that you can ventilate daily through that? That may help with some of the other issues, especially if you do that with the bathroomdoor open.
Different kinds of very cheap insect mesh is available in different types, with or without adhesive strips etc. Aside from the bathroom issues I think being able to air out a place is key to your own health. Try to relax about the cockroaches, 2 is not much at all.
N-thing the fan. You could try one in the bathroom after showering, and one in the bedroom, and the balcony door (once repaired) open with screen.
Are you using a squeegy after showering? If not: use it to get the floor and walls that are wet after each shower as dry as possible, pushing all water towards the drain. It needs to be dry, dry, dry! Bugs and mold love damp and wet.
Good luck, you've got this!
posted by Mariemma at 11:19 AM on November 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
Different kinds of very cheap insect mesh is available in different types, with or without adhesive strips etc. Aside from the bathroom issues I think being able to air out a place is key to your own health. Try to relax about the cockroaches, 2 is not much at all.
N-thing the fan. You could try one in the bathroom after showering, and one in the bedroom, and the balcony door (once repaired) open with screen.
Are you using a squeegy after showering? If not: use it to get the floor and walls that are wet after each shower as dry as possible, pushing all water towards the drain. It needs to be dry, dry, dry! Bugs and mold love damp and wet.
Good luck, you've got this!
posted by Mariemma at 11:19 AM on November 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
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The bugs are almost certainly harmless and not the real problem here.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:05 PM on October 31, 2018