TikTok's Simple Hack For A Renter-Friendly Toilet Paper Holder

About 34% of American housing occupants are renters, according to 2024 U.S. Census information shared by Forbes. Many people believe that renting is a better option for them than buying a home, whether it's to make last-minute moves easier, grant them financial flexibility, or allow them to live in an ideal area downtown. But even people who love their rentals may vent about one common complaint: the landlord. From the "landlord special" paint job to procrastinating on unit repairs, living in rental housing isn't always easy if you've got a picky or careless property manager. You might realize at the worst moment that your home's bathroom doesn't even have a toilet paper holder! Of course, you could always ask your landlord if you can install one, but you'd likely have to pay for the materials, and they could say no. After all, property managers don't tend to like it when tenants make permanent changes.

If you're a renter, you may struggle with how to pick the best toilet paper holder for your space. Luckily, a TikTok hack shared by Auntie Jeshina (@auntiejeshina) shows how to construct an entirely renter-friendly toilet paper holder at very little cost. Jeshina's hack leaves no holes in the wall, uses no adhesives, and — believe it or not — no Command hooks, just some string and an over-the-door hanger. You'll hang the makeshift piece from the side of your toilet tank, creating an ideal place for a toilet paper holder in your tight bathroom.

Start by cutting a section of twine or yarn about 4 feet in length. Fold this string over on itself twice, creating a bundle of four. Twist the folded string bundle until it wraps around itself tightly, forming a short rope, then slide the rope through the opening of a toilet paper roll. Tie the two ends of the rope together, making sure the roll can still spin loosely on the rope. Hang the rope loop on the hooks of an over-the-door hanger. Finally, pop the door hanger over the edge of the toilet tank and place the tank lid back on top. Now you can reach behind to access the toilet paper while using the bathroom.

While it might be a bit of a nuisance to reach behind yourself for toilet paper, this hack is still one of the best rental-friendly DIYs that won't jeopardize your deposit. Of course, to change the toilet paper roll, you'll need to unhook the rope from the over-the-door hanger and untie it before running it through a new roll. If this seems a little too time-consuming, you can try altering the hack to use a dowel rod or bent wire coat hanger instead, allowing you to slide a new roll off and on with relative ease. Otherwise, you could opt for a thinner piece of twine or string instead of making a rope and simply cut and replace the string to change the roll.