If you are locked in a lengthy battle with your apartment landlord, there is a possibility that the war could end with you being evicted. Thankfully, renters laws across the country almost always favour the renter over the landlord. That doesn’t mean that it is impossible to get someone evicted, but it does mean that the judge will almost always be more critical of what your landlord says than what you say. If you have been given an eviction notice, here are a few things to do.

First off, talk to a lawyer. They can help navigate you through the process in your state or territory in regards to the paperwork you have to file to get the eviction halted. If you have small children, it will be next to impossible for your landlord to throw you out and even if you don’t, as long as you stay within the law and show up to all designated court appearances, you have a good chance of surviving long enough for you to find a place of your own.

Next, be courteous. This can be extremely difficult since you probably can’t stand your landlord, but being rude or disrespectful in court will only go to reinforce the image that your landlord is trying to paint. You also want to bring as much evidence as you can into court with you to show your side of the story. Show up empty handed and it shows that you are remarkably unprepared.

Finally, try to have a backup plan in place in case you lose. If you have been battling your landlord this long, chances are you have been thinking about moving out anyway. Call on family, friends or anyone you can so you have a place to sleep. You can even speak to a local shelter if you have no place else to go. There are social service agencies out there that can help.

No matter how comfortable some people are in their new apartment, the act of drilling holes in the wall is a barrier some just can’t cross. More and more apartment complexes are taking a stand against drilling holes, while others allow renters carte blanche when it comes to drilling, as long as the holes are filled when you move out. Thankfully, there are quite a few options when it comes to drilling holes in your walls.

The most popular alternative for most people is the use of stickum. Stickum is that white, super sticky, glue like substance that many companies use as an adhesive. You often find it on the back of plastic hooks and other materials that you simply press against the wall and then begin using. Be sure you follow the directions when first applying stickum to your wall. Wash the wall to ensure there isn’t any dirt and then press the hook or stickum to your wall for 60 seconds. Leave in place for a day without applying any pressure to it before using.

It is important to note that even the best grade stickum won’t last forever. You’ll be lucky to get 6-8 months of usage out of it and then you will have to buy more or decide to put a hole in your wall.

The advantages to simply nailing or drilling is permanence. Even with drilling or nailing, however, you have to watch how much weight you try to put on a single nail. A heavy painting or wall hanging will need extra support. You may even need brackets that you purchase at your local hardware store. No matter which option you choose, you should read your lease to see what the consequences are to putting holes in your wall. You’ll likely have to either fill them or hope your landlord doesn’t notice them when you move out.

One of the perils of living in an apartment is running out of room to store your most precious items. If you are into sports such as cycling or snowboarding, storing your equipment can be downright bothersome. What makes matters even more difficult is that some apartments even have rules on what you can store and where. Here are a few general tips you can keep in mind when you need to store something massive in your new place.

The classic solution for many people is to mount your giant item on the wall. From bikes to skis to snowboards to surfboards, there are wall mounts for just about everything. However, you need to keep in mind that if you have pets, they may see these items as the ultimate toys and try to knock them down. The mounts can also leave rather large holes in your walls that you’ll have to fill when you move out.

Perhaps the most expensive option is to put these items in storage. This is a smart choice if you need to store them over a long period of time, such as an offseason. If you plan on using your bike on a daily basis, storing it anywhere away from you doesn’t make any sense.

The other options that people often use are to simply put the item in a corner or under the bed. These options can work, but they take up a lot of room. If you have a small apartment, parking a bike in the corner can take up a lot of space and if you own a platform bed or if you are already storing clothing under there, you may not have room for a surfboard.

One final tip: some apartment buildings have on-site storage for an extra fee. This is often times a better value that off-site storage and you can access your items anytime you like.