More than a third of Americans rent instead of own their home, according to the 2022 Census. That number is likely to increase. More than half of Gen Z say renting is a better option than buying a house, and a report from the Wall Street Journal found that more high-income earners are choosing to rent over making the big purchase.

As more Americans rent, they face some unique challenges: absent landlords, bait-and-switch apartments, and figuring out whether hanging that heavy mirror on the wall is worth the headache later.

Mercury Stardust is a professional home maintenance technician and is known widely as the Trans Handy Ma'am on social media. On TikTok, she helps her 2.5 million followers through all the DIY tasks of rental repairs and to make apartments feel more like homes.

If you're not on TikTok, you're in luck. Mercury is out with the new book, "Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair."

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