How to Keep a Drafty Apartment Warm Without Turning Up the Heat

 A drafty apartment can feel cold even when the heat is running.

Cold air may be sneaking in around a window, a gap under the front door may be letting in a steady draft, or one room may simply feel much colder than the rest of the apartment.

Turning up the thermostat can help, but it doesn't solve the underlying problem. If warm air is escaping and cold air is getting in, you may just end up running the heat longer.

The good news is that renters still have options. Start by finding where the cold air is coming from, then use simple, reversible fixes to make the apartment feel warmer.

Warm living room in a drafty apartment

1. Find the Draft Before You Try to Fix It

Don't start by buying thermal curtains, window film, and draft stoppers for the entire apartment.

First, figure out where the cold spots actually are.

On a cold or windy day, slowly move your hand around the edges of windows and exterior doors. Pay attention to window frames, the bottom of doors, and anywhere you can visibly see a gap.

ENERGY STAR notes that noticeable drafts, rattling windows, and visible gaps around window or door trim can be signs of air leakage.

You may discover that one window is responsible for much of the discomfort.

That's useful because you can fix the biggest problem first instead of trying to warm the entire apartment.

2. Stop Cold Air Coming Through the Windows

Windows are one of the first places to investigate in a drafty apartment.

If you can feel cold air around the frame, check whether the window is fully closed and locked. A window that looks closed may not be sealing tightly.

For gaps around movable parts of a window, removable weatherstripping may help if your lease allows it. The U.S. Department of Energy specifically recommends weatherstripping around windows and doors as one way renters can reduce air leaks.

If the entire window feels like a source of cold, a temporary interior window-film kit is another option worth considering.

ENERGY STAR describes shrink-to-fit plastic window coverings as an inexpensive way to reduce drafts and help rooms feel warmer during winter.

Just remember that rental rules vary. Avoid permanent modifications unless you have permission from your landlord or property manager.

3. Block the Gap Under a Drafty Door

Sometimes the problem is much easier to see.

If there's a noticeable gap under your apartment door, cold air from an exterior hallway, stairwell, or outdoors may enter underneath it.

A draft stopper is one of the simplest renter-friendly solutions.

Place it along the bottom of the door when it's closed. There are commercial versions available, but the important part is simply creating a barrier against the moving air.

DOE includes draft stoppers among its suggestions for renters dealing with air leakage around doors.

If there is a large permanent gap, damaged weatherstripping, or a door that doesn't close properly, report it to your landlord rather than trying to rebuild or permanently alter the door yourself.

4. Use Your Curtains Differently During the Day and Night

Curtains can do more than provide privacy.

On sunny winter days, open curtains or blinds on windows receiving direct sunlight. The sun can provide some free warmth.

Once the sun goes down, close them again.

ENERGY STAR recommends opening drapes during daylight hours in cold weather to take advantage of the sun's warmth. DOE guidance also recommends window coverings to help retain warmth during winter.

Thicker curtains can also make the area near a cold window feel more comfortable.

But there's an important detail: don't let curtains block heating vents, radiators, or other heat sources.

You want to reduce the effect of the cold window without trapping the heat where it can't circulate through the room.

5. Make Cold Floors More Comfortable

Sometimes your apartment isn't especially drafty at eye level, but the floor makes the whole room feel cold.

This is particularly noticeable with tile, laminate, hardwood, or floors above unheated spaces.

A rug won't repair missing insulation underneath the building, but it can make the room much more comfortable to walk and sit in.

Focus on the places where you actually spend time: beside the bed, under your desk, near the couch, or in the main living area.

You don't necessarily need wall-to-wall coverage.

The goal is comfort, not rebuilding the apartment.

6. Don't Accidentally Block the Heat You Already Have

Before trying to create more warmth, make sure you're not preventing your existing heating system from doing its job.

Look around the room.

Is a couch sitting directly in front of a heating vent? Is a long curtain covering a radiator? Is furniture blocking a return vent?

If so, rearranging the room may help warm air circulate more effectively.

If your system has an accessible air filter that tenants are responsible for maintaining, check the lease or manufacturer's instructions to see whether it needs cleaning or replacement. DOE includes regular filter maintenance among its renter energy-efficiency recommendations because proper airflow matters for heating and cooling performance.

Don't open, modify, or attempt to repair heating equipment yourself.

If the heating system isn't working properly, that's a maintenance issue.

7. Warm the Space You're Actually Using

If you're spending the evening in the living room, it doesn't make much sense to focus your comfort efforts on an unused bedroom.

Close exterior doors and obvious sources of drafts, use rugs where you spend time, close curtains after sunset, and arrange the room so you're not sitting directly beside the coldest window.

Even moving your desk or favorite chair away from a cold exterior wall or inefficient window can make a noticeable difference in comfort.

ENERGY STAR points out that cold interior window surfaces themselves can make a person sitting nearby feel chilly, even when the room's thermostat reading seems reasonable.

That's an important distinction.

Sometimes the solution isn't making the entire apartment hotter. It's making the part of the apartment you're using more comfortable.

8. Pay Attention to Uneven Temperatures

One cold room doesn't necessarily mean you need a higher thermostat setting.

If the living room feels comfortable but the bedroom is consistently freezing, investigate why.

Check for:

• a particularly drafty window
• damaged seals around an exterior door
• blocked heating vents
• a vent that doesn't appear to be working
• unusually cold exterior walls or floors

ENERGY STAR lists drafts and uneven hot or cold rooms among signs that a home's performance may need attention.

If basic renter-friendly fixes don't help, document the problem and contact your landlord or property manager.

9. Know When a Draft Is a Maintenance Problem

Not every cold apartment can—or should—be fixed with curtains and weatherstripping.

A renter-friendly fix makes sense for a small draft. It doesn't make sense for a window that won't close, damaged frames, major gaps, a malfunctioning heating system, or persistent indoor temperatures that may violate local housing requirements.

Take photos of visible damage and note where and when the problem occurs.

Then report it through whatever maintenance process your building uses.

This is especially important if you notice moisture problems around windows. Condensation can have several causes, and ENERGY STAR recommends managing indoor humidity and maintaining appropriate ventilation rather than simply sealing everything indiscriminately.

Air sealing can also affect indoor air quality and combustion safety in some homes, so substantial sealing work belongs with the property owner or a qualified professional rather than becoming an improvised renter DIY project.

What Should You Try First?

If your apartment feels cold, don't tackle everything at once.

Start with this order:

1. Find the coldest window or door.
2. Block obvious drafts with renter-safe methods.
3. Open curtains for useful sunlight and close them after dark.
4. Make sure furniture and curtains aren't blocking your heat.
5. Use rugs and room layout to improve comfort where you spend the most time.
6. Report structural or heating problems that simple fixes can't solve.

This approach is usually more useful than immediately raising the thermostat because you're addressing the places where comfort is being lost.

FAQ

Why is my apartment cold even when the heat is on?

Drafts, cold window surfaces, blocked vents, uneven heating, or problems with the building envelope can all make an apartment feel colder than the thermostat suggests. Start by checking windows and exterior doors and making sure heating vents aren't blocked.

How can I stop cold air from coming through apartment windows?

If your lease permits it, removable weatherstripping can help with air leaks around movable window parts. Temporary interior window film can also reduce drafts. If the window is damaged or won't close properly, report it to your landlord rather than trying to make a permanent repair yourself.

Do thermal curtains really help a cold apartment?

Window coverings can help retain warmth and reduce discomfort near cold windows. Open them when useful winter sunlight is coming through, then close them after sunset.

How can I make my apartment warmer without spending much money?

Start with the free fixes: identify the draft, fully close and lock windows, move furniture away from heating vents, use sunlight during the day, and close curtains at night. Then consider inexpensive renter-friendly options such as a door draft stopper, removable weatherstripping, or temporary window film where appropriate.

Should I tell my landlord if my apartment is very drafty?

Yes, particularly if windows or doors are damaged, won't close properly, have significant gaps, or the heating system isn't maintaining adequate warmth. Small comfort improvements are one thing; building and heating-system defects are different.

Final Thoughts

A drafty apartment doesn't always need more heat. Sometimes it needs fewer places for warmth to escape and fewer cold spots around the areas where you actually live.

Start with the worst window or door, use reversible renter-friendly fixes where appropriate, take advantage of sunlight during the day, and keep your existing heat from being blocked.

And if the problem is bigger than a minor draft, involve your landlord rather than trying to turn a building problem into a DIY project.