Dale,

Just so we make sure we understand where you're coming from... It sounds like you're saying you believe the maintanence workers may try to access your PC while in your apartment.

If you don't want them to gain access to your PC's contents, but without having to go through the hassle of encrypting everything, a simpler solution would be to set a BIOS [or "System"] Password, without which a person can't turn on your PC.

Some thoughts:  

If you have a laptop, you'll have to be very concerned about people easily stealing it from your apartment.   (A desktop can be stolen as well, but is of course a more clumsy proposition).

Using a BIOS password isn't foolproof, as it can be bypassed (on desktops) by "resetting a jumper".   However, this requires opening up your PC, and physically resetting things... so, unless a "crook" has lots of time (and chutzpah), it's unlikely that they'd want to risk staying around long enough to do so.

Using a BIOS password also doesn't protect you from someone stealing your hard drive, to read it on another system.   Again, this is unlikely (unless you have some really sensitive data that people would want to steal).   EDIT:   Something I just discovered upon researching further... there's also an "Internal Hard Disk Password" option, which if set, will be maintained even if your hard drive is swapped from one PC to another!   Like a BIOS password, you have to enter it each time you boot up your PC... as well as any time your system wakes-up from a standby state.  

Finally, be advised that if you set a BIOS password, and forget it [or mis-typed it when you originally set it], you may find you've locked yourself out of your own computer.   So be very careful if you decide to set a BIOS [or Hard Drive] Password.

In addition to ky331's excellent advice, you might want to set a stronger Windows logon that is practically unbreakable: a passphrase (rather than a password).

Passwwords are less secure than a passphrase, which can be up to 127 characters long, including breaks, if memory serves. Passphrases are also arguably easier to remember, rather than some alpha-numeric gibberish.

 Length of the passphrase is paramount: more than 14 characters (incuding breaks) is recommended. In practice this is not difficult.

For example, a passphrase such as I'm the 1st son of two! involves 23  characters, is easy to remember (if you are indeed the 1st son), is reasonably quick to type, and is virtually unbreakable.

You will want to avoid common phrases & quotes. Just generate something personal (My street address is #201) that is easy to recall and type.

Setting a Windows Passphrase is the same as setting a password:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/288-password-create-user-account.html