Don't Assume All Resident Managers Are the Same

Q I have lived in several apartment buildings in Washington over many years. While resident managers were once older women (sometimes men) who often ran the building as if they were den mothers or fathers, some buildings now hire much younger, more professional and better-educated people.

However, one constant remains, and that is these managers will look a tenant in the eye and lie to protect the owners from any questioning or protests. Further, all the building employees who I have ever met eagerly "share" information about tenants, some of it true, with their bosses, probably to curry favor and keep their positions. How is this "loyalty at all costs" presented to employees of apartment buildings when they are hired or trained? -- Washington

AIf you expect your apartment owners to follow the law, to treat you fairly and to rent you apartments without discriminating based on gender, age, race, etc., then you might want to do the same by avoiding broad assumptions. Whether they're young, old, male or female, apartment managers have the same general task, and that is to act as a guardian to the residents of an apartment building while ensuring that the property is properly maintained. An on-site manager is the primary link between the tenants and the property owner or management company.

According to the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, 46 percent of property, real estate and community association managers are self-employed and most have college degrees. In the agency's Occupational Outlook Handbook, the job description for "Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers" states: "Onsite property managers are responsible for day-to-day operations for one piece of property. . . . To ensure that the property is safe and properly maintained, onsite managers routinely inspect the grounds, facilities, and equipment to determine if repairs or maintenance are needed. They meet not only with current residents when handling requests for repairs or trying to resolve complaints, but also with prospective residents or tenants to show vacant apartments or office space. Onsite managers also are responsible for enforcing the terms of rental or lease agreements, such as rent collection, parking and pet restrictions, and termination-of-lease procedures." It also says, "In addition to these duties, property managers must understand and comply with provisions of legislation, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Federal Fair Housing Amendment Act, as well as local fair housing laws. They must ensure that their renting and advertising practices are not discriminatory and that the property itself complies with all of the local, State, and Federal regulations and building codes."

Whether all property managers do their job well is another matter, and one that apartment residents and building managers often disagree upon. Different managers have different styles, but learning how to gossip about residents is not part of standard apartment management training. While the time, amount, depth and frequency of training depends on the property management company, it typically covers such issues as the role of the on-site manager, customer service, emergency management, resident relations, fair housing, financial management, human resource management, risk management, legal responsibilities, property maintenance and marketing.

I read with interest the question and your response to the individual dealing with secondhand smoke. I live in a large apartment building, and I am not a smoker. My neighbor across the hall is a heavy smoker. Unfortunately the smoke has given the hallway a constant smoky atmosphere. The smoke also comes in under my door and into my main living area. I have taken to stuffing a towel at the bottom of the door, and this has helped quite a bit. However, I feel out of sorts that I have to wade through the fumes every time I leave or enter my apartment.

Recognizing that folks have a right to do what they wish within their home, do I have a legitimate complaint to take to building management? I might directly ask the neighbor, but I haven't once seen him or her. I'm reluctant to start a neighborly relationship off on a sour note unless I know I'm not out of line. -- Arlington

Unless a building is designated as nonsmoking, people have the right to smoke within their walls. Depending on the people, they may be amenable to smoking in a certain part of their unit to cause less aggravation for you. Of course, without knowing your neighbors, it's difficult for you to gauge whether a simple conversation about secondhand smoke will help or will create bad blood between you and your neighbor.

First follow the necessary steps to keep as much smoke as you can out of your living space. Besides your solution of using a towel under your door, make sure you have also closed off any gaps and cracks in the walls or through electrical outlets, telephone and cable openings, door latches and vents. You may also try to pull impurities out of the air by using an air filter, purifier or scrubber that uses HEPA filters, short for high-efficiency particulate air.

Even filling the holes will not change the fact that you will smell smoke upon leaving or entering your apartment.

Since you cannot really expect your smoking neighbor to change his or her habits so dramatically that the secondhand smoke will completely stop affecting you, you should begin a friendly dialogue with your landlord about your concerns. Your complaint is legitimate insofar as you respect the rights of your neighbors and are aware that you live in a multifamily housing complex among people who live differently than you do.

Tell your landlord that you are sensitive to your neighbor's smoke and hope for help in purifying the air in common areas such as hallways. Ask to have building maintenance workers investigate the building's ventilation system and change, clean or upgrade existing air filters. Improved ventilation may reduce smoke lingering in the air.

Because management is responsible for keeping you safe and healthy, you can also ask your landlord to permit you to change apartments when one becomes available.

I would suggest bringing up the issue up with your neighbor only as a last resort. In the meantime, you might as well introduce yourself to your neighbors, if only because knowing everyone who lives around you is important for safety. Forging a friendly relationship with your smoking neighbor could come in handy down the road, if the smoke continues to seep into your world and you decide that he or she would react well to a nonconfrontational conversation about how poor building construction allows odors to extend far beyond their intended reach.

Do you have questions, comments or ideas about apartment life? Contact Sara Gebhardt via e-mail at gebhardts@washpost.comor by mail, c/o Real Estate Editor, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.