“What Renters Want” With Jessica Fiur

Ghosts do not exist. It’s a scientific fact. That said, if I wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, I always check in the bathtub to make sure that dead lady from The Shining isn’t there. And I will never, ever play that Bloody Mary game. Ever. Of course, some people still strongly believe in the paranormal and supernatural. I recently came across a discussion on Multifamily Insiders where a landlord wrote that one of his residents said her apartment was haunted and didn’t want to live there, and he asked what he should do about…

Mother’s Day is upon us again. And, whether you’ve had your brunch reservations made months in advance or you forgot and are seriously debating whether that “Mothers Day Roses Shipped 4 Free” spam email you got is legit, it’s time to sit back and thank your mom for all she’s done. Like how true the advice she gave you when you first moved into your first apartment was (although you’d never actually admit it to her). Here is some of the advice I received when I first moved into an apartment. What advice did your mom give you when you…

One of the benefits of working for a multifamily publication is that people actually seek out my advice when looking for an apartment. My brother recently got a job in Manhattan, so I was helping him look for an apartment. And after going back and forth about a place (and literally going back to a studio three times—his broker was a lot more patient than I was), he finally signed the lease. The stressful part is over, right? No, for my brother, it’s just beginning. He wanted to know, how will he get to work from there? What is there…

Yesterday I went to a concert right after work. Though it was one of my favorite bands (Eve 6, in case you were wondering. The ’90s are totally back. Like, whatever), it wasn’t something I had planned in advance. I Forrest Gump-ed my way into the tickets that day because I happened to check Stubhub.com and happened to see they were playing and that there were tickets left. Anyway, because it was so last minute, I had to go in my work clothes—slacks and sensible ballet flats, instead of my normal concert attire consisting of jeans and Converse. But, sadly,…

You know how when you were little and were asked to draw a house, it always looked the same: a square with a triangle on top for the roof, a rectangle door, and maybe some square windows? (Actually, whenever I have to draw a house in Draw Something, that’s how it looks as well.) But all houses don’t actually look alike…unless you’re in one of those weird Twilight Zone type developments, where every home is the same model and design and you all read from the same book To Serve Man (It’s a cookbook!). Houses look different. And so do apartment…

Like a diva film actress who just found out her dressing room is stocked with yellow M&Ms instead of the requested green ones, I tearily told my husband, “I cannot live like this! How do you expect me to work under these conditions?” Yup, our washer/dryer is on the fritz. Again. And our new super is always MIA. Attempts to fix it have not gone well (What do you get when a law student tries to fix a washing machine himself? Soggy briefs. Seriously though). It might not seem like a big deal. There are about a million laundromats on…

There’s an old Seinfeld episode, “The Wig Master,” where Jerry is guilted by a salesman to buy a blazer, only to try to return it “out of spite” when he feels slighted by the salesman. Why am I thinking about a sitcom episode from 16 years ago? First of all, reruns of Seinfeld are shown all the time on like 50 channels. Seriously, turn on the TV right now, and I guarantee you’ll either find an episode of Seinfeld or Law and Order. Second, I clearly have too much time on my hands. And third, this weekend I was helping my…

There’s just something about a man in uniform that makes me feel safe. (It’s why Fleet Week in Manhattan is one of my all-time favorite holidays. Well, that’s one of the reasons. Seeing cute sailors on every block certainly doesn’t hurt, either.) And it’s not just me—that’s why police officers can sometimes receive discounts on their rent or mortgages. My friend, who’s on the SWAT team, was actually encouraged to leave his squad car out in his driveway of the apartment community, both to help other residents feel secure and to deter potential criminals. It’s important that you feel safe and…

Moving to a new apartment is one of the most stressful things you’ll ever have to do. Besides, you know, raising a teenager. Or getting fired. Or meeting your in-laws for the first time. Or figuring out what color you want for your manicure (seriously, there are at least 50 shades of pink that look exactly alike, but will Ballet Slipper look as good on as Petal Pink? How do you know you’re making the right decision?) Or…OK, well, maybe it’s not the most stressful thing you’ll ever have to do. But it ain’t a picnic, either. Here are some…

Sometimes with apartments you luck out with features and amenities, and get a pretty cool place. But don’t you ever wish you could cherry pick every item? TV and movies have some of the coolest and most interesting ideas about what would make a perfect living space (and have some pretty awesome apartments as a whole). Imagine how cool it would be if you could take some of these elements for your own apartment, like a Fantasy Football team for building and decorating, to get your dream place! Here is a list of the best things from pop culture that…