Your space could be a victim of the "landlord special."
There are plenty of beautiful things about moving into your first apartment. Whether you’re living with roommates or completely solo, there’s a feeling of accomplishment and independence that comes with picking up your keys and unpacking that first box. That said, there are also plenty of not-so-pretty aspects of moving into your first apartment. For most of us, it’s typically not the nicest place on the inside. No matter where you live in the country, it’s basically (and unfortunately) a rite of passage to move into a first apartment rife with design defects, also known as the “landlord special.”
This buzzword casts a wide net, but the landlord special is typically defined as anything in your apartment that was unprofessionally repaired, poorly covered up, and/or left unmaintained. While not all landlords paint windows shut, patch holes in walls with tape, or replace ancient appliances with the cheapest version on the market (on the rare occasion they replace them at all), a lot of them do. The sheer number of renters who share the same experiences proves it.
The apartment I currently live in isn’t my first, but it’s definitely no stranger to decades of the landlord's special. From mismatched appliances to the softened architectural details from layer after layer of white paint, I could fill this entire article with photos of my home. If your first apartment was anything like the typical American’s first place, I’m sure you could too. Keep reading to take a stroll down memory lane and see the design defects that are commonly found with the landlord special.
This annoying design defect is probably the most common one to find in an apartment victimized by lazy landlords. Whether they’re painting the walls themselves or simply giving directions to a painting company, they likely do this because it saves a little bit of time and therefore money. If painting over perfectly fine hardware wasn’t enough to annoy you, there’s the fact that it typically makes knobs and latches unusable.
The easiest way to fix gaps and holes? Well, nasty yellow foam, of course! At least, that’s what is found in plenty of renters’ first places. Rather than have a professional come in to fix holes in the wall or empty spaces from the building settling, it appears that many apartment owners think this foam sealant does the trick.
After the exhaust fan above our stove broke, not only did it take our super three weeks to replace it, but when he finally did, he installed one in a different finish. Now we have a white exhaust fan over our stainless steel oven. Thankfully, it works—but it’s a real eyesore.
Another telltale sign that your apartment has been a victim of the landlord special is wires sticking out of the wall—live or not! These protrusions don’t just look messy and unfinished, but they can also be dangerous.
Leaky pipes lead to leaky ceilings and walls, which can cause a myriad of problems in your home. From mold to bubbling paint, having unpatched leaks can be extremely harmful to you, your belongings, and your apartment.
There are plenty of original design details we adore, such as original hardwood floors and antique hardware, but there's also a good reason why many homeowners and designers replace old cabinets and floors: They don’t work as well, and/or they look bad. However, these ancient finishes are hanging on in plenty of apartments, my own included.
If you rent a unit in an old building, it probably has drafty windows. However, even in some shoddily built new apartment buildings, the windows let the cold in throughout the winter and the cool air out in the steamy summer.
While this might be a bit less common than other issues with first apartments, it’s not rare for certain landlords and management companies to leave random old appliances or tools in their tenants’ yards. Of course, this only applies if you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor space.
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