Renters' backup power: how to handle an outage in an apartment
If you rent an apartment, do not use a generator. Use batteries. A fuel-burning generator needs to run outdoors and more than 20 feet from any window, door or vent, and a balcony, patio, breezeway or garage is not that place. A power station or UPS has no exhaust, fits in a closet and is enough to keep the router, phones, lights and maybe a CPAP running through a night. This page shows what to buy, how to size it and what to watch for in a shared building.
How this guide was made: this is a research guide built on manufacturer specifications and federal guidance, with sources linked throughout. We haven't bench-tested any of the equipment mentioned, and we don't claim to. The sizing examples below use assumed loads, labeled as such.
Why not a generator in an apartment
The CDC says never to run a generator or any gasoline-powered engine inside your home, basement or garage, or less than 20 feet from any window, door or vent, and that carbon monoxide (CO) can build up in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces (CDC). A balcony or covered patio is partially enclosed and sits next to your own door and your neighbors' windows. In a multi-unit building, exhaust can travel to units you can't see.
The same rules cover charcoal grills, lanterns and portable camp stoves: never use them inside a home. And never use a gas range or oven to heat the apartment (Ready.gov, CDC). Details are in generator carbon monoxide safety.
What about a neighbor's generator? If one runs near your window, a battery-backed CO detector is your protection, and you should ask them or management to move it. If the alarm sounds, leave and call 911. That part is our advice, based on the same CDC symptoms and rules.
What a battery can realistically do
Batteries are about energy, so size by watt-hours (Wh). The method is the same as in our power station sizing worksheet: watts × hours ÷ 0.85. The 85% is a planning assumption for losses.
Here are three apartment-sized targets, using assumed loads (router and modem 20 W, 60 W of phone and laptop charging, 30 W of LED lighting, a CPAP at 60 W, and a fridge-freezer averaging 67 W):
| Target | Loads | Energy at the devices | Battery to look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Stay connected, one night | Router + modem 12 h (240 Wh), charging 3 h (180 Wh), lights 4 h (120 Wh) | 540 Wh | about 635 Wh |
| B. Plus a CPAP | A + CPAP 8 h (480 Wh) | 1,020 Wh | about 1,200 Wh |
| C. Plus the fridge for 12 h | B + fridge 12 h (804 Wh) | 1,824 Wh | about 2,150 Wh |
The watt figures are assumptions in the style of Champion's published ranges (router 10–20 W, charger 20–100 W, CPAP 30–60 W without a heated humidifier, per Champion); the fridge average is the example from our refrigerator guide. Check your own devices' labels for the real numbers.
A few practical notes:
- Target A fits a small power station or a large power bank. Many people already own the key pieces.
- A CPAP changes the size. See CPAP backup power for the device-specific math. Check your device's rating, and ask your provider; this page is not for life-support planning.
- A fridge is the hard part. Its compressor needs a start surge, and a refrigerator through a full night needs most of a mid-size station. For a short outage, keeping the doors closed matters more. See food safety after a power outage.
- Don't plan to run a space heater, hot plate or microwave. They draw 750–1,500 W and drain a small battery fast (Champion lists 750–1,500 W for a space heater and 600–1,200 W for a microwave).
UPS or power station?
| Row label | UPS | Power station |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Router, modem, one PC | Phones, lights, router, CPAP |
| Switchover | Designed to be instant | May switch in tens of milliseconds; EcoFlow's DELTA 2 manual quotes 30 ms and warns against 0 ms-sensitive loads |
| Runtime | Varies widely by model and load; check the maker's runtime chart | Hours to a day, depending on size and load |
| Recharge | Plugs in; stays topped up | Plugs in; needs periodic top-ups |
Use our UPS runtime calculator for the router. A UPS on the router and modem is the cheapest way to keep a connection up. It does nothing if your internet provider's network is down, so keep a phone hotspot as a fallback and note that the phone has to stay charged.
Ask the building, check the lease
Rules differ by building, so ask or read before you buy:
- Does your lease or your community rules restrict storing or charging batteries, or fuel? Some leases limit fuel storage and open flames, and a large battery may fall under a rule you didn't expect. This is not legal advice; ask your property manager.
- Who maintains the CO and smoke alarms? Ask whether they're battery-backed. Battery-backed CO detectors are what the CDC recommends. Test the ones in your unit.
- What fails with the power? Elevators, door locks, garage gates, hallway lighting and water pumps in taller buildings can all fail. Ask management what the plan is.
- How do I report an outage? Report it to your electric utility (the number on your bill or the landlord's account) and to management. In Alabama Power territory see our outage checklist. If you pay no electric bill, ask who does.
- Renters insurance. Policies differ on spoiled food and temporary housing. Read yours before you need it.
Battery safety in a small space
The U.S. Fire Administration says to store lithium-ion batteries at room temperature when possible, not to charge them below 32 °F or above 105 °F, to stop using any that smell, change shape, leak or overheat, and to keep spares away from anything that can burn (USFA). In an apartment:
- Charge on a hard surface, not on a bed or sofa, and away from curtains.
- Keep it away from the stove and the heater, and out of a hot car.
- Use the maker's charger.
- If it smokes or catches fire, get out and call 911.
Use flashlights and battery lanterns, not candles, according to the CDC; if you must use a candle, keep it away from anything that can burn and stay in the room.
Charging from a car
A car can top up phones in a pinch, but the CDC says never to leave a motor running in a garage or other enclosed or partially enclosed space. Park outdoors in the open, and don't run the engine to sleep in it. Gas stations may be closed in a long outage, so keep a reasonable amount of fuel in the tank during storm season.
Heat, cold and cooling
The CDC says to go to a community location with power if conditions are extreme, and not to rely on fans alone in real heat. Before winter, read the winter storm checklist and put extra blankets, sleeping bags and warm coats in the kit. Never use a gas oven or stove for heat.
A renter's outage kit
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Battery-backed CO detector | CDC recommendation; check batteries |
| Power station or power bank, charged | Phones, router, lights, CPAP |
| UPS on router and modem | Keeps the connection up for short outages |
| Flashlights and lanterns, spare batteries | Instead of candles |
| Water and nonperishable food | Ready.gov: enough for your household |
| Appliance thermometer in the fridge | 40°F is the line |
| Cooler | For perishables if the outage lasts |
| Warm clothing and blankets | For winter |
| Medicines and a plan for refrigerated ones | Ask your provider |
| Written contacts: utility, landlord, management | Phones die |
Summary
Renters get through an outage with batteries: a small station or power bank for connectivity, a UPS on the router, a plan for a CPAP or fridge sized from the worksheet, and a battery-backed CO detector. Skip generators, grills and gas stoves indoors. Do the math with the power station runtime calculator, compare options in generator vs power station, and use the Alabama outage checklist for utility steps.