Bathroom Exhaust Fan Not Working? Easy Renter Fixes

Cabinet Doors That Do Not Close Are a Common Inspection Issue

A kitchen or bathroom cabinet door that swings open, does not close flush, or bounces back after closing is noticed immediately during a move-out inspection. These issues are almost always mechanical in nature and are entirely fixable with basic tools in 15 to 30 minutes per door. Understanding the cause is the first step to the right fix.

Worn or Missing Magnetic Catches

Many older cabinet doors use magnetic catches to hold them closed. The catch consists of a magnet mounted inside the cabinet and a metal strike plate on the door. Over time, the magnet weakens, the screws loosen, or the alignment shifts. Check whether the door has a magnetic catch and whether the magnet is still aligned with the strike plate when the door is closed. Tightening the screws or repositioning the catch to realign with the strike plate often resolves the issue immediately. Replacement magnetic catches are available for under two dollars if the existing one is too worn to work properly.

European Hinge Adjustment

Modern kitchen cabinets use European cup hinges that allow the door to be adjusted in three directions: in and out, side to side, and up and down. These hinges have visible adjustment screws that allow you to fine-tune the door position without removing any hardware. If the door is not closing flush or is rubbing against an adjacent door or the cabinet frame, locate the adjustment screws on the hinge and turn them incrementally while testing the door position until it closes correctly. A small Phillips screwdriver is all you need.

Loose Hinges

A cabinet door that sags or swings open when released usually has loose hinges. Tighten all hinge screws with a screwdriver. If a screw has stripped out of the cabinet frame, fill the hole with wooden toothpicks and wood glue, let dry, and drive the screw back in. This provides fresh material for the screw to grip.

Soft-Close Mechanisms

Some cabinets have integrated soft-close hinges that should close the door quietly and completely. If a soft-close door is not closing all the way, the damper in the hinge may have worn out or the hinge may need cleaning. The tension on most soft-close hinges is adjustable. Check the hinge for a small tension adjustment screw and increase the tension slightly to see if it resolves the issue.

Find cabinet hinges, magnetic catches, and hinge adjustment tools: cabinet door hardware on Amazon.

More help: Appliances and Plumbing guides

Move-Out Cleaning That Protects Your Deposit

Move-out cleaning should restore the unit to the same cleanliness level it was in when you moved in — not necessarily spotless, but comparable. If your move-in documentation shows the unit was already lightly cleaned, your obligation is to match that standard. If the unit was professionally cleaned and documented as such at move-in, a landlord may have grounds to require professional cleaning at move-out as well, particularly if the lease specifies it. Reading your lease’s language around cleaning expectations is the first step in understanding your actual obligations versus what a landlord might claim.

The areas that generate the most deposit deductions for cleaning are predictable: kitchen appliances (especially oven interiors, refrigerator coils and drip pans, and range hood filters), bathroom grout and caulk, window tracks and sills, light fixtures, and baseboards. Professional move-out cleaners know these high-scrutiny areas and address them systematically. If you’re cleaning yourself, working from top to bottom (ceilings, fans, light fixtures before floors) and back to front (starting in the farthest room from the exit) ensures you don’t track dirt through cleaned areas. Budget at least two days for a thorough self-clean of an average two-bedroom apartment.

Odor is a category where renters frequently underestimate the effort required. Cooking odors, pet smells, and cigarette smoke require treatment of surfaces, not just masking with air fresheners. An enzyme-based cleaner on any fabric surface (carpet, upholstery, inside closets) breaks down organic compounds at the molecular level rather than covering them. Hard surfaces that have absorbed cooking oils or smoke require a degreaser rather than a standard all-purpose cleaner. Replacing HVAC filters before move-out eliminates a common landlord deduction, and running the system with a carbon filter for the last week of occupancy helps clear airborne odors from the space.

Photographing your cleaning efforts sounds unusual but is worth the effort. Before-and-after photos of the oven, bathroom, and any areas that were visibly dirty create documentation that supports your claim that you left the unit in good condition. Time-stamped photos taken on your final day in the unit — ideally with the landlord present or immediately before your landlord’s walkthrough — are particularly strong evidence. Some renters keep receipts from cleaning supply purchases or professional cleaning services as additional documentation. The stronger your cleaning documentation, the harder it is for a landlord to justify a cleaning deduction of any significant amount.